Ukraine’s capital Kyiv came under a major aerial assault early on Thursday, with explosions ringing out across the city as Russia launched drones and ballistic missiles in what officials described as a “heavy enemy attack”.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russian forces were targeting the capital with unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles, warning residents that the city remained under sustained attack. An AFP journalist in Kyiv reported hearing multiple loud blasts and seeing air defence systems firing into the sky as authorities attempted to intercept incoming threats.
The latest assault followed one of the largest Russian bombardments of the war so far. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia fired at least 800 drones across around 20 Ukrainian regions on Wednesday in a barrage that lasted for hours and killed at least six people. Dozens more, including children, were wounded.
The attacks struck Kyiv, the western city of Lviv near the Polish border, and the Black Sea port of Odesa, among other areas. Zelenskyy said Moscow’s aim appeared to be overwhelming Ukraine’s air defences before potentially following up with cruise and ballistic missile strikes.
In Kyiv, officials said debris from intercepted drones fell in the Obolonskyi district, while Klitschko later reported damage to a five-storey residential building, a vehicle fire in a car park and debris hitting a non-residential structure.
Three people were also killed in Russia’s overnight drone attack on the Rivne region west of Kyiv, according to regional authorities.
