«My neighbour was covered in blood, cars were on fire»: how the people of Mykolaiv survived the night-time attack by Shahed drones

Darina MelnychukCorrespondent
Kirill Vitvitskyy Cameraman

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On the night of 12 June, Russian forces attacked Mykolaiv using Shahed-type attack drones. The attack damaged private homes and cars.

This was reported by a NikVesti correspondent.

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The Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration noted that a married couple and their 18-year-old daughter were injured in the shelling. All were hospitalised. As of this morning, the man was in a serious condition, whilst the women had sustained moderate injuries.

Residents of the area say that after a loud explosion, they saw their neighbours’ cars and houses catch fire.

«There was a knock at the door; I looked and saw Lena, my neighbour, covered in blood. And that’s when it all started; everything became clear. One car caught fire straight away, then a second, fire after fire. There was no time to ask what had happened or how,» says local resident Mykola, whose house was also damaged.

«I saw a bright flash, then a rumble, the sound of breaking glass. I ran out into the yard and saw that my neighbours’ cars were on fire. I called the fire brigade,» says Anastasiia, a resident of one of the damaged houses.

Another local resident, Mykola, says that part of his house was damaged after the explosion, and his wife had to be evacuated through a window. According to him, his neighbour was the worst affected and was taken to hospital by paramedics.

«There was an explosion — and everything started falling. Something hit in here and smashed the house. Everything here is damaged, and the wall at the back has completely collapsed. My wife was sleeping in the living room; I pulled her out through the window. We called an ambulance because the neighbour was badly hurt. They carried him out on a stretcher. The girls made it to the ambulance on their own, but they were all covered in blood. As I understand it, he’d apparently gone out for a smoke and was hit by falling rubble at that moment. They say they don’t shoot at civilians. So how come they’re shooting? Just look at this,» he says.

Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych also reported that experts have already assessed the damage in the residential area.

As of now, preliminary figures show:

— 27 houses have been damaged, two of which have been destroyed;
— 18 roofs have been damaged;
— 89 windows have been smashed in 20 houses.

In addition, representatives of the State Architectural and Construction Control Authority, together with experts from the Department of Housing and Communal Services, have already begun commission inspections.

Photo report

The aftermath of the night-time shelling of Mykolaiv on 12 June. Photo: NikVesti

It should be noted that later, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitalii Kim, reported another attack by Russian drones on the city on the morning of 12 June. A man was injured and hospitalised. Buildings belonging to a transport company and cars were also damaged.

#Mykolaiv Shelling 98

Authors

Darina Melnychuk

Correspondent

NikVesti correspondent since 2024, with a journalism degree, working on culture, politics, photo reporting, interviews and video formats.

Kirill Vitvitskyy

Cameraman

partnership

This material was produced within the REACH – Media Partnerships for Accountability and Trust project, implemented by International Media Support (IMS) and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The content reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Danish government. Denmark’s support strengthens civil society and independent media in Ukraine, including in Mykolaiv.

«My neighbour was covered in blood, cars were on fire»: how the people of Mykolaiv survived the night-time attack by Shahed drones

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