'We’re Exhausted and Alone': Bulgarian in Kyiv Speaks After Deadly Russian Strike Kills 22

The death toll from Russia’s latest overnight missile attack on Kyiv has risen to 22, Ukrainian authorities confirmed early Wednesday. In one of the deadliest assaults on the capital in recent months, a residential high-rise in the Solomianskyi district was hit directly by a ballistic missile, leading to the complete collapse of an entire section of the building.

Search and rescue operations continued throughout the night. By 7:00 a.m., emergency services had pulled 16 bodies from the rubble at the site. Just under an hour later, another victim - a man - was found, raising the toll to 22. In addition to the fatalities, 134 people have been reported injured in Kyiv alone, according to the State Emergency Service.

The attack began shortly after midnight and lasted through the night, with waves of drones and missiles pounding the capital and several other regions across Ukraine. Air raid sirens rang out multiple times as residents sought shelter from what has become a terrifying pattern of long, sustained bombardments.

Tatyana Staneva, a Bulgarian living in Odesa who happened to be in Kyiv during the assault, described the experience in an interview with Nova TV. “Everything happens at night, people are asleep. This time, it didn’t stop. It started at midnight and just kept going,” she said. “We’re exhausted. Somehow, they’re creating these new, combined, massive and prolonged attacks.”

Staneva painted a grim picture of the psychological toll, noting that people have grown desensitized but are worn down. “Ukrainians have long stopped expecting much help from outside. They realized they were betrayed by many of their partners. It’s painful. We’re shedding blood while holding this shield.”

She spoke bluntly about what she sees as the motives behind Russia’s war. “The Russians don’t kill because they want territory. They kill because they hate us, and because they can. Putin is doing this with a sense of artistry. He’s a master manipulator.”

Staneva also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump, claiming his admiration for Putin complicates the conflict further. “Trump is no intellectual. He genuinely likes Putin. One dictator admiring another.”

According to Ukrainian officials, the scale of the attack extended far beyond the capital. Missile and drone strikes were reported in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, and Mykolaiv regions as well. Despite the intensity of the assault, Ukraine’s air defense systems managed to intercept 428 out of the 472 projectiles launched.

However, even with this high interception rate, the impact on the ground was severe. Ten locations suffered direct hits, and debris from downed missiles fell in 34 more. The scale of destruction, especially in densely populated urban areas, once again highlighted the vulnerability of Ukrainian cities under Russia’s intensified aerial campaign.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that the nine-storey residential building in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district was struck by a ballistic missile, causing massive structural failure. The search for survivors continues as emergency crews work through the debris, bracing for the possibility of more bodies.

The attack has reinforced the sense of isolation felt by many Ukrainians. As Staneva said, the country’s defenders and civilians feel increasingly abandoned. Her appeal was urgent: “The world must wake up and do something.”

Sources:

• Ukrainska Pravda
• Nova TV
• The Kyiv Independent