A Russian strike drone hit the building of the “We Are Ukraine TV channel in Kyiv while journalists were on air, partially destroying the facility and injuring at least five people, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday, Sept. 8.
“Russia struck at the media, at journalists,” he said in a Telegram post. “A strike drone attacked the building of the TV channel “We Are Ukraine” during the telethon ‘United News.’”
The strike occurred in the middle of the day while journalists were broadcasting live, according to the president.
“The building is partially destroyed,” he said, adding that emergency services were working at the site and that State Emergency Service (DSNS) personnel had already extinguished the fire.
“As of now, five victims are known. Unfortunately, the number may still increase,” Zelensky said.
The president condemned the attack as a deliberate strike against the media and called for an international response.
“‘Shaheds’ against the media is a new page of Russian degradation, and there must definitely be a reaction from Europe and the world to this,” Zelensky said, using the Ukrainian term for Russia’s Iranian designed attack drones.
“No blow to Ukraine and Ukrainians – to life – can go unpunished,” he added.
Zelensky said Russia must be stopped, “and this is possible only through joint efforts.”
It should be noted that the “We Are Ukraine” TV channel’s office had previously been damaged during the massive Russian attack on Kyiv in the early hours of Aug. 20.
Onthis previous occasion Russia carried out a massive combined attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region, using ballistic and cruise missiles, Kalibr missiles and attack drones. The air raid alert in the capital lasted for almost nine hours, with the Kyiv region bearing the brunt of the attack.
At least 17 people were killed in Kyiv and the region, while over 40 others were injured. Residential buildings, industrial and warehouse facilities, and a children’s hospital were damaged.
At the time, windows were shattered at the TV channel’s premises, and the newsroom suffered significant damage. The blast wave also tore down part of the ceiling in the office corridors.
Ihor Petrenko, head of the “We Are Ukraine” media group, said that all employees survived the attack.
The attack on the TV channel came amid an overnight Russian attack on Kyiv, with falling debris reported at multiple locations across the capital.
In the Holosiivskyi district, fires broke out at warehouses and on the grounds of a private school. Debris also fell on a residential building, trapping people in apartments, and on an unfinished 26-story building.
In the Darnytsky district, warehouses were damaged and caught fire, while a garage near a private house also caught fire and a car was damaged.
In the Podilsky district, debris fell at several non-residential sites, sparking warehouse fires. In the Solomiansky district, debris fell on a non-residential building and three- and five-story residential buildings.
Two people were initially reported killed and 10 injured. The death toll later rose to three.
The situation continued to develop throughout the morning. At 8 a.m. authorities reported a warehouse fire in the Shevchenkivsky district and damage to a building in the Podilskyi district, where no fire was reported.
At 11:30 a.m., local authorities said medics had been called to the Shevchenkivsky and Solomiansky districts. In Solomiansky, falling debris from a drone caused a minor fire and damage to a four-story office building. Preliminary reports indicated casualties.
Further strikes were reported shortly afterward. At 12:46 p.m., authorities reported a second strike on warehouse buildings in Shevchenkivskyi, where a fire was raging. At 1:18 p.m., authorities reported a strike on a warehouse building in Holosiivskyi, where the roof caught fire.
At 12:51 p.m., Zelensky reported that a Russian strike drone had hit the building of the “We Are Ukraine” TV channel while journalists were on air.
This news story might be updated as more information becomes available.