Russian strikes on Kyiv damage school, hospital, and bridge as mayor warns of escalating attacks

Russian attacks on Kyiv have intensified sharply, with strikes damaging a school, hospital, and bridge, prompting Mayor Vitali Klitschko to declare that residents can no longer pretend it is peacetime. The escalation has disrupted daily life, forcing evacuations and leaving some neighborhoods without power and water. The attacks this week targeted offices, datacentres, and energy facilities, as Moscow seeks to plunge the capital into darkness and cold. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia aims to force Ukrainians to leave the capital, while Kyiv faces shortages of Patriot interceptors and faster jet-powered drones that are harder to shoot down. Kyiv is developing new interceptor drones to counter the threat, though deployment may take weeks or months. Russia's battlefield advances remain slow, capturing 361 sq km in September, while Ukraine reclaimed 126 sq km in counteroffensives. Western diplomats remain in Kyiv but are preparing contingency plans to relocate embassies if foreign missions are targeted.