A grandmother’s grief as rescuers recovered her grandson’s body from the ruins of a Kyiv apartment block has become a devastating symbol of the human toll of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The elderly woman had tried to reach the young man herself after a Russian missile struck the residential building overnight, but emergency crews stopped her from entering the dangerous rubble.
Her grandson was among 15 people killed in the latest Russian bombardment of civilian areas, with a further 40 people reported injured.
As the scale of the tragedy became clear, rescue workers helped the shaken woman sit down. Overwhelmed by the loss, she was seen burying her face in her hands.
“My grandson is on the seventh floor there,” she could be heard saying in footage filmed at the scene.
“God, why did this have to happen? What did he do to deserve such a fate?”
Moments later, her grief turned to anguish as she cried out: “For what?”
Ukrainian war correspondent Maryan Kushnir, an award-winning reporter who reached the scene shortly after the strike, described chaos and flames around the damaged building. “We arrived at the location extremely quickly. Everything is burning around. A rocket hit the house. At that moment, Kalibrs [Russian missiles] fly into the area,” he said.
‘Frightened people run for cover. “What am I doing here”?, I think to myself?
‘After several explosions, I go to the entrance that was hit by a rocket. There is a covered body. A woman with grey hair approaches us.
‘My grandson is there on the 7th floor. I spoke to him recently,’ she said.
‘Then she tries to find out at least some information about her grandson – but he is gone.’
A bereft Kyiv grandmother is seen as her grandson’s body is removed from a block of flats struck by a Vladimir Putin missile
The barbaric attack came today as 15 were killed, and 40 wounded, in one of the fiercest bombardments of the war
The wailing Russian-speaking pensioner had to be held back from trying to get inside to look for her grandson
A person with belongings walks in a residential area hit by Russian strikes on August 20
Local women react near covered bodies of victims at the site of a Russian missile strike on a residential area in Kyiv
A rescuer helps a local woman at the site of a Russian missile strike on a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine, August 20
Local people react at the site of a Russian missile strike on a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine on August 20
Rescuers soon carry out a man’s body on a stretcher.
‘It was him. The whole Solomyanka district heard the screams of grief.
‘This woman’s scream tore everything apart, turned everything inside out…
‘Kyiv is wounded. Again.’
It comes as at least 12 people were killed and dozens were injured after a Russian missile barrage overnight blasted a children’s hospital and hit civilian targets in Kyiv.
The strikes hit 12 locations across Kyiv’s Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts, damaging residential buildings, a medical facility and an educational institution.
At least 33 people were wounded as the air raid alert remained active into the early morning hours Thursday.
Emergency crews were at the scene and pulled people out from under the rubble.
In Solomianskyi district, the top two floors of a 9-storey residential building were destroyed and fires broke out on other floors.
People were also trapped in two residential buildings and a school shelter.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched dozens of ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, as well as 168 drones in its overnight attack on the country.
It said that air defence units downed 145 drones and most of the cruise missiles but none of the missiles that run on ballistic trajectory.
Firefighters work near a site of an apartment building hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine August 20
At least 12 people were killed and dozens were injured after a Russian missile barrage overnight blasted a children’s hospital and hit civilian targets in Kyiv
The strikes hit 12 locations across Kyiv’s Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts, damaging residential buildings, a medical facility and an educational institution
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to X in the wake of the damage, writing: ‘It was a massive attack – the Russians had been preparing for a long time, combining different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible to civilian infrastructure.’
He issued a plea for help with bolstering Ukraine’s anti-ballistic defence, highlighting the country’s need for more US-made Patriot interceptors.
‘Unfortunately, while Moscow is investing in ballistic missiles and escalation, such strikes do not always receive the response they should from the world,’ Zelensky wrote.
‘And as long as Ukraine does not have enough anti-ballistic defence, Russia will not consider peace seriously.
‘We are doing everything to ensure we have that protection, and work on the FREYJA programme continues every day.
‘But Patriot interceptors cannot yet be replaced, and we need them every day.
‘Every additional missile saves the lives of our people. I thank everyone who understands this and is looking for and finding ways to help.’
Kyiv has limited systems capable of intercepting ballistic threats, while supplies of missiles for its US-made Patriot air defence systems remain chronically constrained.
US President Donald Trump had authorised Ukraine to obtain licenses to produce Patriot air-defence systems, but later reversed that decision.
The FREYJA programme aims to combine Ukrainian missile technology with European industry to build an affordable anti-ballistic missile system capable of protecting Ukraine and the wider continent.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched dozens of ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, as well as 168 drones in its overnight attack on the country
At least 33 people were wounded as the air raid alert remained active into the early morning hours Thursday
Russia has intensified ballistic missile attacks on the capital to constrain Kyiv’s air defence stocks
Such a system would grant Europe greater independence at a time when existing Patriot batteries and interceptor stockpiles are limited and constrained by competing global demands.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said a children’s hospital had been damaged in the overnight attack, where windows were broken and cars set ablaze nearby.
There was also damage at an educational institution, he added.
The airstrikes cut power to thousands of properties overnight, plunging parts of the Kyiv region into darkness, with technicians rushing to repair the damaged energy grids.
‘In the capital, residential buildings were damaged, including a high-rise whose upper floors were destroyed, as well as a children’s hospital and a school,’ Zelensky wrote.
‘Emergency response and rescue operations are ongoing. As of now, we know that this Russian strike has claimed the lives of 12 people in Kyiv, with one person killed in the region.
‘My condolences to all the families and loved ones. Around 40 more people were injured.
‘In the Odesa region, the enemy carried out a drone attack on a border crossing with Moldova; in the Chernihiv region, it targeted gas infrastructure.
‘I thank all the rescuers, medics, police officers, and utility workers who have been helping people from the first moments.’
Larysa Bondaruk, 60, sat on the ground, holding her cat, Chanel, which had been rescued by firefighters.
With tears in her eyes, she said that her neighbor’s grandson had been trapped under the rubble and died. Her apartment was badly damaged.
‘A rocket hit the roof. It was incredibly loud, immediately, debris and doors were blown out. There were columns of smoke, columns of fire, screams, crying and despair,’ she said.
‘Two people were killed in our building, but the rescuers responded quickly and professionally. I am grateful to them for that.’
Russia has intensified ballistic missile attacks on the capital to constrain Kyiv’s air defense stocks.
More than a dozen regions have been targeted across Ukraine over the past week, with Moscow launching more than 1,550 attack drones, 1,560 guided aerial bombs and 62 missiles towards Ukraine.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has intensified its own campaign of long-range strikes against weapons depots, military facilities and other strategic targets deep inside Russian territory, seeking to degrade Moscow’s ability to sustain its attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Two separate attacks on Russia this week killed at least 16 people, including one child.
Since July, Kyiv has repeatedly targeted a warehouse belonging to the online retailer Wildberries, Russia’s version of Amazon.
Ukraine’s defence ministry said the latest strike meant that seven out of 10 of the largest Wildberries logistics centres had been ‘disabled’.
