with some saying they had become desensitised after more than four years of war. The strikes between late Saturday and early Sunday were among the heaviest on Kyiv since Russia invaded in February 2022, leaving four people dead and multiple buildings destroyed across the capital. Among the weapons Russia used during the barrage was its Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which can travel 10 times the speed of sound and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads, according to Moscow. "We're used to it," said Roman, a 36-year-old firefighter who helped clear the ruins from a building destroyed in the strike. Sitting at a table in the Kyiv neighbourhood of Podil, he told AFP he had learned to adjust psychologically after seeing repeated destruction in his career. "Emotions take a back seat," he said, his eyes bloodshot after having worked with his colleagues throughout the night. Behind him, a young man stepped over a heap of charred debris, taking care not to spill his latte macchiato.

On one street, children played just metres from the site of a Russian strike. "Watch out for glass!" one woman shouted at them. Among the buildings damaged in the weekend attack was the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, a small college that specialises in liberal arts. Mykola, 17, and Maksym, 18, came to class despite the attack.  "We don't give this so much meaning. Life is not stopping," said Mykola, who only found out the windows at the college had shattered after seeing news reports. "It affects sleep the most," said Mykola. "I've gotten used to it, but before, at the beginning, it was downright stressful." When the alarms sound in the city, the two students no longer go to underground shelters, preferring a "good sleep" in the safety of basements. The strikes caused damage in every district of the Ukrainian capital, according to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko. The residence of the Albanian ambassador was also hit and the Balkan country summoned the Russian envoy in protest. Buildings housing a studio of German broadcaster ARD and an office for German outlet DW were damaged as well, both companies said. Both premises were empty of people at the time. (Bssnews)