Russian drone strike kills Kyiv resident linked to Chernobyl tragedy

On the night of November 13-14, 2025, a Russian drone struck a 19-story residential tower on Rue Balzac in Kyiv’s Troieshchyna district, setting fire to an apartment on the seventh floor. The blast created a gaping hole in the wall and blackened windows on the eighth floor with soot. Natalia Khodemchuk, living alone in the building and the widow of Valery Khodemchuk—recognized as the first casualty of the Chernobyl disaster—took refuge in a corridor between solid walls.

Although the walls shielded her from flying glass, the flames caused severe burns, and she died a few hours later in hospital. Valery Khodemchuk’s body was never recovered after the 1986 reactor explosion. The attack highlights the continued vulnerability of Kyiv’s civilian population amid the conflict.