Russian attacks have damaged around 4,000 of Kyiv’s 12,000 buildings, or roughly one in three, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine on Thursday, Aug. 20, Kyiv Post reports.
“About 4,000 buildings out of 12,000 in the city have suffered damage of varying degrees,” Klitschko said, according to RBC-Ukraine.
He said each Russian attack costs the Kyiv city budget approximately Hr.500 million ($11.5 million).
The remarks come after a massive overnight Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv on Aug. 20 that killed at least 15 people and damaged residential and civilian infrastructure across the capital and surrounding region.
Klitschko said the city is continuing to equip shelters and search for funding to prepare for the upcoming heating season.
Kyiv plans to install mobile shelters in the city’s most critical locations by the end of the year, he said.
The latest attack underscored the continuing pressure on Kyiv’s civilian infrastructure. Russian forces launched dozens of missiles and 168 drones at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine’s Air Force, with Kyiv and the surrounding region among the main targets.
Klitschko’s comments also highlight the longer-term financial burden of Russia’s attacks on the capital, as the city works simultaneously to repair damaged buildings, maintain critical services and prepare its energy system for winter.
