Ukraine midfielder Georgiy Sudakov reported that his apartment in Kyiv suffered significant damage from a Russian drone attack while his wife and child were at home. Sudakov, 23, is currently engaged in international duty with the Ukrainian national team and shared images and videos of the destruction on his Instagram.
The extent of injuries to his family from the attack remains unclear. In his post, Sudakov described the damage, noting the presence of “shaheed” drones during the incident. On the same night, Russia reportedly launched a large-scale offensive involving 805 drones and 13 missiles, according to Ukraine’s air force. Officials stated that 751 of these drones were intercepted, yet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that four people lost their lives, and 44 others were injured.
Eyewitness accounts from residents in Kyiv corroborate the use of Shahed drones mentioned by Sudakov. The BBC Verify team has identified Sudakov’s apartment building, located in the southeast of the Svyatoshyns’kyi district, which appears to have sustained extensive damage, with upper floors blackened and emitting smoke. Visual evidence shows that parts of the structure, including walls and windows, have been destroyed, with debris littering the surrounding area.
Sudakov, originally from Bryanka in the Donbas region currently held by Russian forces, transferred from Shakhtar Donetsk to Portuguese club Benfica in August. In prior interviews, he expressed that being a professional footballer amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and being away from his family is challenging. He described the emotional toll of receiving messages from his wife indicating they were taking cover during attacks.
As the Ukrainian national team prepares for a World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan, they face the challenges of their recent 2-0 defeat to France in their Group D opening match.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c80glg2jep1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss