Russian attack damages Kyiv Zoo: glass shards fall on turtles and crocodiles – photos

Kyiv Zoo was damaged during the Russian large-scale attack on the Ukrainian capital on the night of 1-2 July, with the entrance area, aquaterrarium and aviary among the facilities affected.

Source: Kyiv Zoo

Details: According to Kyiv Zoo, staff who remain on duty around the clock rushed to protect the animals during the attack.

The animals are now safe after being urgently relocated to other enclosures.

The zoo's northern entrance sustained the most severe damage. The façade and parts of the exterior structures were damaged and information screens were destroyed. Glass doors and windows were shattered, and lift doors and lifting mechanisms were bent by the blast.

Shrapnel also damaged the entrance roller shutter, the fire alarm system, the CCTV system and service equipment.

Glass panels in the dome of the aquaterrarium's winter garden were blown out, sending shards of glass and window frames crashing onto turtles and crocodiles. The animals were subsequently moved to other enclosures.

The damaged dome also affected the winter garden itself, with exotic plants damaged, vines torn down and flower pots smashed.

Windows were also blown out in the aviary and primate section. Parts of the roof were damaged. The hay storage building also sustained damage to its façade panels and windows.

Elsewhere in the zoo, the blast wave snapped tree branches and damaged lawns.

The zoo said it remains open and is continuing to deal with the aftermath of the attack, although access through the main entrance and the adjacent car park has been partially restricted.

Background:

• As of the morning of 3 July, 10 people were still missing following the Russian attack on Kyiv and search and rescue operations were ongoing.
• Fifty-six people, including four children, are currently still in hospital. Doctors have stabilised the condition of a one-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl.
• The attack also damaged the homes of artists and media workers.

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