Russian drone strikes central Kyiv hospital as Starshield restrictions hamper Ukraine
A Russian drone struck Kyiv’s Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics at about 3am, injuring three people and damaging the hospital’s second floor and an adjoining 19th-century building. Thirty patients were evacuated, and medical services were temporarily suspended while firefighters and staff cleared the site. The blast shattered windows in nearby buildings, including the National Academy of Arts, and narrowly missed hospital patients in the central Shevchenkivskyi district, near the Danish and Romanian embassies.
The attack came as Volodymyr Zelenskyy said disruptions and speed restrictions affecting SpaceX’s Starshield satellite system had made it harder for Ukrainian interceptor systems to reach and destroy Russian drones. Starshield, the military version of Starlink, is operated by SpaceX and overseen by the Pentagon. The White House has not explained why the service was throttled again after an unexplained slowdown last month.
Russia claimed it had shot down nearly 1,200 Ukrainian drones overnight, reporting at least four deaths in the Volgograd region. Russian strikes also caused power outages in 12 Ukrainian regions, while Ukraine accused Moscow of intensifying attacks on civilian infrastructure to wear down the population. The developments coincided with US-led efforts to negotiate an end to the war. Russian negotiators are demanding four Ukrainian provinces and a new European security arrangement, while Emmanuel Macron said Europe must be involved in deciding its future security.
Continue in the app — vote & join in ➔