Kyiv apartment building hit by multiple Russian strikes month apart
Residents of a Kyiv apartment building hit a second time by a Russian strike greeted emergency responders with dark humor, volunteer Kateryna Tereshkova said.
A Ukrainian civilian volunteering as an emergency response worker arrived at the scene of the latest Russian attacks on Kyiv Monday only to realize it was the same apartment complex she helped repair after another strike just a month ago.
"It's a strange feeling because, you know, you always have hope everything is going to be okay," 45-year-old Kateryna Tereshkova told CBS News. "Usually it can be in one district, but different addresses. But here, it's absolutely the same location."
Residents who she had already met responding to attacks in June greeted her with dark humor.
"People who come to us, they say, 'Ah, we remember you. You fixed it already on my balcony, but now I don't have apartments anymore,'" she said. "But, you know, the sense of humor is the main root of our nation."
Monday's barrage killed at least 22 people in the capital of Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian officials said. The strikes further exposed gaps in Ukraine's air defenses and its reliance on U.S. Patriot systems to intercept ballistic missiles.
Russia has increased attacks on Kyiv in retaliation for Ukraine's recent long-range strikes, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.