'No time to reach shelter': Voices from Kyiv after deadly attack by Russia

Ukrainian aid workers described the aftermath of a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv that killed at least 17 people and injured 44 across the capital and surrounding region. Homes, warehouses and civilian infrastructure sustained damage as emergency responders worked at affected sites.

Julia Goldenberg, director of 2U, a Kyiv-based partner of World Jewish Relief, said that "food warehouses, supermarkets, malls, civilian infrastructure and logistics were under attack. Russians are doing their best to deprive peaceful civilians of food, household essentials, income, homes and, of course, lives. Residential buildings were again among their 'military' targets."

She noted that "in Kyiv, we survive nights like this every three or four days. After each attack, our office receives call after call from people whose apartments and homes have been damaged. People desperately need practical and psychological support. The stress is accumulating."

Goldenberg recounted that Mariya, an 85-year-old Jewish woman whose apartment was damaged in an earlier attack, called that morning to cancel a planned visit. "After this terrible night, she simply could not face hosting anyone today," Goldenberg said. "Nevertheless, Kyiv is alive. Ukraine is alive. People are working, and the sun is shining."

According to 2U, approximately 235 people within the wider Jewish community in Kyiv require home repairs due to shelling damage.

Oleksiy Tolkachov, director of Dreamland, another World Jewish Relief partner, described the limited warning time residents received. "Ballistic missiles reach the city extremely quickly, sometimes almost simultaneously with the air-raid alert, so there was simply no time to reach a proper shelter," He said. "People hid wherever they could: in corridors, bathrooms, and other relatively protected parts of their homes. The explosions were extremely loud, and the night was terrifying. Unfortunately, our air-defense resources are severely depleted. In practical terms, Kyiv is dangerously exposed to further Russian ballistic-missile attacks."

David Weisberg, executive director of World Jewish Relief USA, stated that "Ukraine is not rebuilding after the war. Ukrainians are being forced to rebuild during the war, even as homes are being damaged faster than humanitarian organizations can repair them." He added: "Our partners are there every day, helping families regain some sense of safety and stability, even while they themselves live under the same threat. Ukraine may no longer command the headlines it once did, but the humanitarian need has not diminished. In many ways, it is becoming more urgent. We cannot look away."