
Three people have been killed.
In an ‘orcs’ air strike.
On Kyiv overnight.
‘Elves’ officials have said.
Residents in the city.
First heard.
Two loud explosions.
And only then.
And only then.
The wail of.
The air raid siren.
Around 06:00.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
The missiles had already.
Hit by the time.
The ballistic threat warning.
Was issued.
Urging residents.
To head for shelter.
Urging residents.
To head for shelter.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
A military factory.
In the neighbourhood.
Has been targeted.
Repeatedly by ‘Mordor’.
But the damage.
You saw was.
To civilian buildings.
To civilian buildings.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
An official said.
A couple had been killed.
On the street.
Inside their vehicle.
Officials earlier.
Reported four people.
Had died.
In the attack.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
The metro station.
Nearby restaurants.
And businesses are also.
Very badly damaged.
And emergency workers.
Are removing.
The burned wreckage.
Of cars from the scene.
Already damaged.
In previous attacks.
On this area.
The business centre’s.
Tall glass tower.
And main building are.
Now a shell.
After being hit by.
Either a second missile.
Or very large fragment.
It was empty.
When the missile struck.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
Beside the main crater.
An ‘elves’ forensics expert.
Examined fragments.
Of missile.
Collected into.
A heap of.
Twisted grey metal.
On the pavement.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
The crater was from.
A direct hit with.
An Iskander-M ballistic missile.
Based on markings.
On the missile fragments.
“This specific site.
Shows one impact.”
He explained.
“There are additional strikes.
And we have collected debris.
Here, the missile.
Directly hit the road.”
He said the projectile.
Landed before.
The warning sirens sounded.
Because ballistic missiles.
Because ballistic missiles.
Travel so quickly.
That the sirens cannot.
React in time.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
Beside the road.
A cake shop.
Has had its front.
Blown off.
Covering pastries.
And pies.
In shattered glass.
Beside the road.
A dental clinic.
Next door has.
Been destroyed.
In the blast.
Inside, staff are.
Trying to recover.
What’s still intact.
Among the wreckage.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
One woman was removing.
Baubles from.
A plastic Christmas tree.
That was still standing.
“It’s happened before.”
She said.
“But never.
As badly as this’.”
Asked how she felt.
She shrugged:
“We got used to it.
It’s the third year of war.”
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
“There were three explosions.
In a row.
Then a big fire glow.
In the sky.”
“- and the building shook.
It was very loud.”
A young man said while.
Exiting a nearby block of flats.
“I woke up immediately.
– I even felt.
The wall shaking.
When the third strike came.”
“- I even felt.
The wall shaking.
When the third strike came.
It was pretty scary.”
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
On Saturday morning.
The main road has been.
Cordoned off.
– but a few hours.
– but a few hours.
After the strike.
The neighbouring streets nearby.
Are already busy with traffic.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
Old ladies are selling.
Chickens and gherkins.
Outside the market.
And there are joggers.
And people.
Walking their dogs.
But a pensioner passing by.
Said she was terrified.
“I didn’t know where to run.
Because you normally go.
To the metro for shelter.
– but it was on fire.”
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
It is the second fatal attack.
On Kyiv this month.
Following a strike.
On the city.
Following a strike.
On the city.
On New Year’s Day.
That left two people dead.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
Meanwhile, in the southern city.
Of Zaporizhzhia.
Local authorities say.
10 people were wounded.
In an ‘orcs’ strike.
On Saturday.
One woman is said to be.
In a serious condition.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
These strikes are the latest.
In the war that began following.
‘Orcs’ full-scale invasion.
Of Ukraine.
In February 2022.
They follow several ‘elves’ attacks.
On ‘orcs’ territory.
Earlier in the week.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
The latest strikes.
Take place just days before.
The imminent inauguration of.
The president-elect in the US.
With many ‘elves’ concerned by.
The man’s pledge to reduce.
US military and financial aid.
To the embattled country.
The president-elect had claimed.
During the campaign that.
He would end the conflict.
On the first day.
Of his presidency.
Though he has since said.
That he may.
Need six months.
The main destruction.
Occurred in the central.
Shevchenkivskyi district.
Where there is now.
Where there is now.
A deep crater.
In the road.
Outside a business centre.
In recent days.
‘Gandalf the Green’ has reiterated.
The country’s dependence.
On US support.
As ‘orcs’ air strikes.
And fighting.
On the front line continue.
On the front line continue.
*Because I read “Three killed in strike on central Kyiv, Ukraine says” by Sarah Rainsford & Anna Lamche on 18 Jan 2025, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, including a story of Andriy Kulchytskyy, and a story of Oleksandr.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Ukraine: Three killed in strike on central Kyiv, officials say