Russian Drone Strikes TV Channel During Live Broadcast, Zelensky Says: 5 Injured

A Russian strike drone hit the building of the We Are Ukraine TV channel in Kyiv while journalists were on air, partially destroying the facility and injuring at least five people, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday, Sept. 8. “Russia struck at the media, at journalists,” Zelensky said in a Telegram post. “A strike drone attacked the building of the TV channel ‘We Are Ukraine’ of the telethon ‘United News.’”JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The strike occurred in the middle of the day while journalists were broadcasting live, according to Zelensky. “The building is partially destroyed,” he said, adding that emergency services were working at the site and that State Emergency Service (DSNS) personnel had already extinguished the fire. “As of now, five victims are known. Unfortunately, the number may still increase,” Zelensky said. The president condemned the attack as a deliberate strike against the media and called for an international response. “‘Shaheds’ against the media is a new page of Russian degradation, and there must definitely be a reaction from Europe and the world to this,” Zelensky said, using the Ukrainian term for Russia’s Shahed-type attack drones. “No blow to Ukraine and Ukrainians – to life – can go unpunished,” he added. Zelensky said Russia must be stopped, “and this is possible only through joint efforts.” Other Topics of Interest 175 Targets Down, But Ballistic Missiles Still Get Through Russian drones returned over Kyiv hours before Moscow’s declared pause was due to end, as US envoys pursued peace talks. It should be noted that the We Are Ukraine TV channel’s office was also damaged during the massive Russian attack on Kyiv in the early morning of Aug. 20. Russia carried out a massive combined attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region, using ballistic and cruise missiles, Kalibr missiles and attack drones. The air raid alert in the capital lasted for almost nine hours, with the Kyiv region bearing the brunt of the attack. At least 17 people were killed in Kyiv and the region, while over 40 others were injured. Residential buildings, industrial and warehouse facilities, and a children’s hospital were damaged. At the time, windows were shattered at the TV channel’s premises, and the newsroom suffered significant damage. The blast wave also tore down part of the ceiling in the office corridors. Ihor Petrenko, head of the We Are Ukraine media group, said that all employees survived the attack. This news story will be updated as more information becomes available. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.