'The windows flew out and a fire started' - Kyiv resident recounts Russian attack on city

(27 Dec 2025) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Kyiv, Ukraine - 27 December 2025 1. Various of residential building damaged by Russian attack 2. Various of 52-year-old Olena Karpenko standing with her daughter and a dog near her house  3. Wide of woman sitting next to the building entrance with children  4. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Olena Karpenko, resident of damaged building: "There was shelling all night, we didn't go out. We were at home, but we were hiding in the corridor, and then in the morning we heard an explosion. At first there was an explosion at the thermal power plant, and then there was a stronger explosion. The windows started shaking and there was a hit on our house. Our windows overlook the next house, and we saw that the windows flew out and a fire started. We started evacuating. I can't believe that the whole world is seeing this and can't stop it. I heard a man burning, and his scream is still in my ears. I can't believe it." 5. Close of destroyed apartment  6. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Olena Karpenko, resident of damaged building: "We were abroad with my daughter. We are very grateful to them, but we returned because we want to live on our native land, because it is our homeland. We have traditions, Christmas, we all cook kutya (traditional Christmas food) and dream that there will be peace. We all want it very much, it is important for us. We are simply begging the whole world, we can get on our knees, but let there be an end to all this for our children. We have already lived." 7. Close of Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko standing next to damaged building 8. Wide of damaged building  9. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine: "Currently, 16 people are injured in the city of Kyiv. One person died. In the Kyiv region, we have 10 injured, and we also have one deceased person in Bila Tserkva. Here, rescuers have just reported at this location that they found fragments of a body, it is an adult person, we do not yet know if it is a woman or a man. When the work is completed, you see at the level of the third floor above the office premises, we will be able to say more precisely." 10. Various of damaged apartments  11. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine: "In fact, the entire center of Kyiv was under attack by drones. We are talking about the fact that the Russian Federation is sending a message that it is raising the stakes in this war, that it does not want to end this war, that it wants to engulf us in chaos, not only energy-related, it wants to intimidate us at the end of the fourth year of the war, and this is exactly what was done between our holidays, between Christmas and New Year. I think that the aggression and cruelty with which the Russian Federation initially attacked us and is now continuing the war indicates that the terrorist attacks will continue and they do not want to end this war." 12. Various of body bag outside building  STORYLINE: Russia attacked Ukraine's capital with missiles and drones early Saturday morning, killing one person and wounding 27 others, a day before talks between Ukraine and the U.S., local authorities said. Explosions boomed across Kyiv for hours as ballistic missiles and drones hit the city. The attack began in the early morning hours Saturday and was continuing as day broke. The attack came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday for further talks in an effort to end the nearly 4-year-old war. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...