Russian drone attack wounds nine in Kyiv

An overnight Russian drone attack on Kyiv wounded nine people, including an 11-year-old girl, authorities said Wednesday, as Moscow steps up aerial bombardments on the Ukrainian capital.

City authorities and emergency services fire broke out in a nine-storey building in a central district and that a kindergarten had been damaged.

"Nine people were injured. There was also a fire in an eight-storey administrative building," Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on social media, saying debris from a destroyed drone had caused the damage.

Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles since it launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The Ukrainian air force said it downed 33 out of 62 drones -- including Iranian-designed attack drones -- launched by Russian forces, over 10 regions and Kyiv.

The Russian defense ministry said it had downed 23 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian territory.

© Agence France-Presse