Russia’s jet-powered drones leave Kyiv supermarket shelves empty

The attacks left some supermarket shelves bare after repeated strikes on warehouses, as Ukraine reels from attacks with jet-powered drones.

Russia has intensified its aerial attacks in recent months, more than four years after it invaded its neighbour.

Almost constant air raid alerts in the Kyiv region in recent days have severely disrupted daily routines.

Two major attacks in July killed almost 50 civilians, and a strike on Saturday killed at least 38 people.

Classes were due to resume at Ukrainian schools on Tuesday, but it was unclear whether parents would send their children.

Schools have air raid shelters, and classes can also be held online.

But about one million textbooks have been destroyed in Russian attacks on publishing houses, potentially delaying deliveries for the start of the school year, Ukraine’s education ministry said earlier this month.

“Right now, Russia’s tactic is to wear down Ukraine and Ukrainians — first and foremost, our people,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media late on Sunday.

Ukraine has also tried to make Russian civilians feel the burden of war by hammering major online retailers and oil facilities. The attacks have brought shortages for ordinary Russians, though the assaults have not been as deadly for civilians.

US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the war are on ice after making little progress last year on key issues and with Washington’s attention now gripped by the Iran war.

But Mr Zelensky is keen to restart the mediation and he said that he had “a good call” on Monday with US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, describing their phone conversation as “detailed and constructive”.

“Importantly, the dialogue between negotiating teams of the US and Ukraine continues all the time, and now we are talking about locking in the dates for the visit to Ukraine” by Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner, Mr Zelensky said on social media.

A pall of black smoke drifted over Kyiv on Monday morning.

In Brovary and Boryspil, cities in the Kyiv region, the aerial attacks struck several warehouses and four people were wounded, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration, said.

Mr Zelensky conceded on social media that Ukraine is struggling to counter fast-flying jet-propelled drones that Russia is increasingly deploying.

Between Thursday and Sunday, Russia fired almost 1,500 drones at Ukraine, and around 800 of them were jet-powered, Mr Zelensky said.

Combat aircraft are trying to stop the jet-powered versions while Ukraine looks to develop more effective technology.

“Four companies have developed the relevant interceptor drones, and one company has the most successful technology,” Mr Zelensky said.

Repeated Russian strikes on food distribution centres and retail hubs have disrupted Ukrainian logistics, leaving some supermarket shelves bare and fuelling public concern about shortages.

These fears prompted Mr Zelensky’s adviser Serhii Beskrestnov to say on social media on Monday that Ukraine would not go hungry.

He urged the public not to give in to rumours, disinformation or panic, saying producers and retailers were restructuring supply chains.

Mr Beskrestnov said that European countries would be ready to fill any food supply shortfall, if necessary.

At the same time, Russia has kept up its attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, seeking to leave civilians cold and without running water in the approaching winter.

Russian forces launched what officials said was a massive overnight drone attack on Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region, which borders Russia, where an energy facility was damaged, according to Viacheslav Chaus, head of the regional military administration.

The Russian defence ministry said on Sunday that it was preparing “massive strikes” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Overnight, Russia shot down 239 Ukrainian drones over 14 Russian regions, the occupied Crimean Peninsula and the waters of the Black Sea, the ministry in Moscow said on Monday.

A Ukrainian missile attack on Sunday evening on the Russian border city of Belgorod killed three people, acting regional governor Alexander Shuvayev said.

Also, a Ukrainian drone attack wounded four people in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, regional governor Denis Pasler said on Monday.

Yekaterinburg is Russia’s fourth-biggest city, located more than 1,250 miles (2,000km) from Ukraine’s border, and is an industrial hub.