Russia carried out one of its largest ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, unleashing a five-hour barrage that Ukrainian officials said involved about 40 Iskander-M and Zircon missiles. The assault left at least one person dead and seven injured, while fires broke out in several parts of the city and damage was reported to homes, offices and other buildings.
Residents were jolted awake by an air raid siren shortly after 1.30am, followed by the sound of air defences and repeated explosions. A second alert sounded at 6.30am as further impacts were reported. In central Kyiv’s Shevchenkivsky district, a three-storey building caught fire and rescuers pulled several people from the structure before recovering a body. Other strikes hit areas including Sviatoshynskyi, Solomyanskyi, Desnianskyi and Dnipro, with flames also reported at a dormitory, a non-residential building and private homes.
Air defences intercept some of the attack
Kyiv’s military said it shot down 18 missiles during the raid and also intercepted 108 of 125 drones. The city’s military administration said the attack was aimed primarily at the capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said seven people were wounded. In Lukyanivska metro station, part of the ground-floor vestibule ceiling collapsed after what residents described as a powerful blast wave, and the station was temporarily closed.
The strike comes as Russia continues near-daily drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, adding pressure on Kyiv and its foreign partners to strengthen air defences. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said protection against ballistic missiles remained a top priority and said interceptors were needed every day. He has also said the US and Ukraine have reached a political agreement on licences to produce Patriot interceptors, with hopes that production could begin by the end of the year.
The attacks followed a period of political tension in Kyiv, where protests have erupted over Zelenskyy’s decision to dismiss defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Meanwhile, Ukraine has also struck inside Russia: on Saturday, attack drones hit logistics warehouses in the Moscow and Tambov regions, causing major fires and killing eight people, according to the report.
Source: theguardian.com
