Sawt Falasteen - 'I grabbed my child': Kyiv residents face devastation of biggest Russian barrage of war

It was only when she went outside to look for her cat and a young man shouted for her to take cover that she realised the danger.

"I thought he was joking, but then I could hear whistling. I ran back into the building, covered my ears, and then -- boom. Debris came crashing down on us," she told AFP.

At least 18 people were killed between late Wednesday and early Thursday, in what was Russia's biggest attack on Kyiv since invading more than four years ago, according to Ukrainian officials.

The attack destroyed part of a high-rise building in the southeastern Darnytskyi district, wounded dozens of others and left smoke pouring over the city.

Shevchuk survived, but several of her neighbours were left trapped under the rubble.

"It was the first time I had ever been so close to such danger. Whenever ballistic missiles were flying before, they were never this close," she added.

"I'll remember this for the rest of my life."

Russia has attacked Ukraine on an almost nightly basis since launching its invasion in February 2022, triggering routine air alerts that have become a part of daily life for residents.

Many Kyiv residents seek shelter -- in basements or metro stations -- during the alerts, but some take the risk of staying put, tired of their sleep being constantly interrupted.

"Many people didn't pay attention -- just like I didn't --because there's nothing here to hit. But it hit the house directly," said Shevchuk.

"So it's better to go to the basement during an air alert. I've realised that now," she added.

- 'I ran to the shelter' -

Residents in the same neighbourhood told AFP they were shocked by the scale of the attacks.

"I'd never gone down to a shelter, but today I did for the first time," said 25-year-old Karina Taran, who realised the danger after missiles started "flying in".

"I grabbed my child and simply ran to the shelter, and I only came out in the morning," she added.

"Many of my close ones aren't answering. Now we're trying to get in touch with everyone."

Russia fired 496 drones and 74 missiles -- including hard-to-intercept ballistic projectiles -- between late Wednesday and early Thursday, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Some 52,000 people including 4,500 children packed into underground stations to shield themselves from the barrage -- the highest number in recent years, according to the Kyiv metro.

As the sun rose over Kyiv on Thursday morning, dozens returned to find their apartments wiped out and belongings reduced to rubble.

One resident, 32-year-old factory worker Sabina Mambetova, told AFP she had fled from the eastern city of Kramatorsk to Kyiv -- only for her home to be destroyed.

"Half the building is destroyed. The roof is gone," she said.

"I've been left without an apartment, alone with my child. I don't know what to do now."

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Z.Ramadan--SF-PST