Russian Strikes Kill Eight Across Ukraine and Damage Kyiv Maternity Hospital
Overview of the Strikes
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least eight people on 23-24 September while damaging civilian infrastructure including a maternity hospital and a 120-year-old church in Kyiv and disrupting internet services for multiple providers after hitting data centres. The assault included an unspecified number of hypersonic and ballistic missiles, 282 drones and other weapons, Ukraine’s air force said. Russian forces used almost 300 drones of various types, as well as ballistic and anti-ship missiles. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it targeted Ukrainian defence sites, logistics and telecommunications hubs, and vessels used by the military. The ministry also said its forces struck a Black Sea tanker bringing fuel and lubricants to Ukraine’s port of Chornomorsk. The overnight barrage around Ukraine included an unspecified number of hypersonic and ballistic missiles, 282 drones and other weapons, Ukraine’s air force said. Russian forces used almost 300 drones of various types, as well as ballistic and anti-ship missiles. [3] [4] [5]
Casualties and Damage in Kyiv
Two people were killed in strikes on Kyiv, one in the car park of a damaged maternity hospital; eight others were injured in the capital. Two people died in the latest assault on Kyiv, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Eight people were injured in Kyiv in the attack; at least two were taken to hospital in a serious condition, and two others were killed. Most of those injured were diagnosed with multiple trauma, blast and shrapnel wounds. In Kyiv, eight people were injured as well as the two fatalities, one of whom was in the parking lot of the maternity hospital, city mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Part of the hospital’s facade, windows and doors were damaged, officials said, adding that no patients or medics were injured. Police said nine homes, a post office, warehouses and dozens of cars were also damaged in Kyiv. “As people were sleeping, flashes from explosions lit up the sky,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram. “Once again, the main targets of their strike were Kyiv and civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, a maternity hospital, energy infrastructure, and logistics.” [3] [4] [5]
Russian strikes damaged a Kyiv maternity hospital and killed eight people across Ukraine. — Source: aljazeera
Internet and Data Centre Disruptions
Domonet, Kievnet and Faust internet providers reported damage to data centres and switching equipment in Kyiv, causing outages; one provider expects restoration by 21:00 on 24 September. Following a Russian attack on Kyiv data centres, Domonet, Kievnet and Faust internet providers reported infrastructure damage and internet disruptions. Domonet recorded damage to switching equipment. The company found a technical solution for its repair and plans to complete the work by 21:00 on 24 September. Kievnet reported damage to one of the data centres supporting part of its network. Due to a power outage, a section of subscribers in central Kyiv may temporarily remain without internet service. Faust also reported damage to its infrastructure as a result of the attack and is working to get the network up and running again. One of Kyiv's data centres housing the core equipment of the Utels internet service provider was damaged as a result of a Russian attack on 23 September. The attack also caused operational issues for the cloud service Fex.net. [1]
Attack on Kharkiv Region Farm
Six people were killed and eight wounded in a Russian attack on a farm in Kharkiv region. Six people were killed and eight wounded on Thursday in a Russian attack on a farm in northern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram. A separate Russian attack on a vegetable storage facility at a farm in a village of the northeastern Kharkiv region killed six people and injured a further 12, prosecutors said. [3] [5]
Russian strikes damaged the 120-year-old church in Kyiv. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Damage to Historical and Religious Sites
The 120-year-old Holy Intercession Church in Kyiv's Priorka neighbourhood sustained damage to windows, domes and historic façade. Russian forces have damaged the 120-year-old Holy Intercession Church in Kyiv's Priorka neighbourhood. It belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Nakonechnyi said the church's windows, domes and historic façade made of yellow Kyiv brick were damaged. He noted that it is the oldest church in the Mostytskyi and Vynohradar neighbourhoods and was built in 1906. "The enemy is not only targeting people and their homes. It is trying to destroy our historical and spiritual heritage," Nakonechnyi added. The Holy Intercession Church is located at 2 Mostytska Street. It was built between 1902 and 1906 on the site of the Church of St Demetrius. It was designed by architect Yevhen Yermakov, while construction was completed under the supervision of architect Mykola Kazanskyi. The building has survived with almost no alterations and has never been destroyed. It was closed only once, in 1938, when the church was shut down and converted into a vegetable warehouse. However, the church reopened in September 1941 and has not been closed since. Many religious artefacts were lost after the closure. Only the iconostasis doors and an icon of the Archangel Michael survived. The current iconostasis was installed in 1944 through the efforts of the church's then priest, Tymofii Koval. The iconostasis was painted by Ukrainian artist Ivan Yizhakevych. The main part of the church is approximately square in plan, and its central volume is crowned by five onion domes. The façades are decorated with arches, semi-columns, niches and other decorative elements. [4]
Russian Claims and Regional Effects
Russia's Defence Ministry said strikes hit Ukrainian defence facilities, logistics and telecoms centres, plus a Black Sea tanker supplying fuel to Chornomorsk port. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said it targeted Ukrainian defence sites, logistics and telecommunications hubs, and vessels used by the military. The ministry also said its forces struck a Black Sea tanker bringing fuel and lubricants to Ukraine’s port of Chornomorsk. In Russia, falling drone debris sparked a fire at an industrial facility in the southern region of Krasnodar, local authorities said, adding that no one was injured. Poland’s military said it deployed planes to secure its airspace in response to the attacks on Ukraine. Two Czech fighters were also deployed to aid the effort. “These measures are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing and protecting the airspace, particularly in areas adjacent to threatened regions,” it said in a post on X. Poland also said a fire at a Starlink ground station in the centre of the country was deliberate sabotage aimed at cutting internet access for institutions, including the Ukrainian military. Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski called the incident “hybrid warfare” and said that while responsibility was not established, it “aligns with Russia’s new doctrine of attack”. Moscow has denied carrying out such attacks. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Al Jazeera that NATO had “contingency plans” for what he called Russia’s “provocations”. In the Black Sea port of Odesa, military administration head Serhiy Lysak said overnight Russian strikes damaged a medical facility and shattered windows in nearby houses and a school. Moldova’s President Maia Sandu said four Russian drones crossed into its airspace and at least one exploded, while Romania said a drone also crashed in its territory. Nato alliance member Poland said it deployed aviation twice on Thursday due to Russian attacks on Ukraine. [2] [3] [5]
What to watch next: The attacks came after the US had conducted a flurry of diplomacy with the two warring nations in a bid to reduce the impact of the war on the global economy, with US officials meeting separately with Russian and Ukrainian officials on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to discuss the war.
