Drone-hit gas station in Kyiv rebuilds

Reconstruction of a gas station in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has continued after it was struck by a Russian drone last month.

Russian forces have intensified their attacks on facilities in Ukraine that could affect the lives of local people.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media, "The Russians are burning down food warehouses and gas stations." He added, "Russia wants to destroy the Ukrainian economy in order to break our resistance."

The drone attack on September 23 left pillars and other parts of the gas station exposed. The charred debris has continued to smell after more than one week. The operator aims to reopen it in a few weeks.

An NHK crew visited the site on Monday and saw workers trying to rapidly build a shelter, using a crane to pile up thick concrete blocks.

The company, which operates about 660 gas stations across Ukraine, says that around 80 of them have come under Russian strikes this year.

A manager at the firm said that attacks on gas stations are acts of terror against civilians. The manager noted that there are enormous losses to such facilities that serve purely social purposes, adding that the company has a protection plan for all of its facilities.