Kyiv Mayor Says Russian Strikes Are 'Tearing the City Apart' as Attacks Intensify

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has said that residents of the Ukrainian capital can no longer pretend they are living in "peacetime," as Russia intensifies its attacks on the city, striking a school, a hospital and a bridge.

The renewed wave of strikes has disrupted daily life across Kyiv, with residents describing moments of fear as air raid alerts sound and families are forced to seek shelter at short notice, including during routine activities such as the school day.

One resident, Valeriya Tkachenko, described being in the process of dropping her son off at school in central Kyiv when the air raid alert sounded, prompting staff to usher children and parents into a shelter, where she said she spent the following two hours with her son.

Tkachenko said she remains in a state of constant worry about her son's safety throughout each day, a sentiment that reflects the broader anxiety described by residents as strikes continue to hit civilian infrastructure, including a school, a hospital and a bridge in recent attacks.

The intensified strikes on Kyiv form part of the wider pattern of attacks that Ukrainian officials say Russia has continued to carry out against the capital and other cities, as the war between the two countries continues without a resolution in sight.