On the evening of October 18, 2026, Russia launched another massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv, deploying ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs. The shelling continued throughout the night and into the morning hours of October 19. One of the targets hit was the Cosmo Multimall shopping center, which houses the Zveropolis contact zoo. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing an official statement from the zoo on Instagram, the location sustained damage from the missile strike, but all the animals survived. The Zveropolis team confirmed that they are evacuating the residents and taking all possible measures to ensure their safety.
Condition of the Animals and Evacuation Progress
In a statement published on the zoo's Instagram account, the team explicitly stated: “The animals are all right, everyone is alive. We are evacuating them and doing everything possible to keep them safe.” At the time of publication, no exact list of injured or deceased animals was available. At the same time, Zveropolis emphasized that the damaged space must be restored, and the animals need proper care, primarily food. Prompt evacuation became the priority for the staff, who worked under conditions immediately following the strike.
Context of the Attack on the Capital
The missile strike on Cosmo Multimall was part of a broader wave of shelling against Kyiv. According to available data, the October 18–19 attacks left one person dead and eight others injured in the capital. Damage was recorded in residential buildings, a fitness club, a medical facility, a supermarket, two gas stations, a school, a sports complex, the Chernihivska metro station, and warehouse premises. It was separately noted that the U.S. did not warn the Ukrainian side about the initial ballistic missile strike, which has been characteristic of several previous attacks of this type.
Fundraising and Location Restoration
The Zveropolis team announced the launch of a fundraising campaign to restore the damaged space and provide the animals with everything they need. In an appeal to subscribers and visitors, the zoo thanked everyone ready to help financially or spread information about the fundraiser. At the time of publication, the exact timeline and scale of the location's restoration remained unknown: the extent of the damage was still being assessed, and the team did not name specific timeframes for returning to normal operations.
What Is Known About the Shopping Center Damage
The Cosmo Multimall shopping center, which housed the contact zoo, suffered a direct hit or shrapnel damage from the missile strike. As of the morning of October 19, 2026, the exact extent of the destruction inside the building and in the surrounding area has not been publicly disclosed in detail. Video footage has already emerged online capturing the exterior condition of the shopping mall after the attack. For a contact zoo, where animals were kept in close proximity to visitors, the missile strike poses a unique threat not only to the infrastructure but also to the inhabitants themselves, making evacuation and subsequent recovery critical phases.
