Russia launched a massive attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev with missiles and drones early Sunday, killing at least one person and wounding more than 20, as it threatened to retaliate for attacks in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.
“The capital has been hit by a massive ballistic missile attack,” Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kiev City Military Administration, wrote on Telegram.
“At least 4 locations are currently reported to be affected by the attack: Shevchenkivsky, Dniprovsky and Podilsky districts. There are preliminary reports of fires and damage to residential buildings,” Tkachenko said.
Many residential buildings in Kiev were damaged by the Russian attack.
The fire broke out in debris at a school complex in the city centre, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said on Telegram.
Russia warned of retaliation
On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a Russian attack against Ukraine using the Oreshnik missile, citing intelligence from Ukraine, the US and Europe.
“We are seeing signs of preparation for a joint attack on Ukrainian territory, including Kiev, with a variety of weapons, including the Russian nuclear-capable hypersonic missile Oreshnik,” Zelensky said in a post on social media.
The warning comes after Ukraine launched a drone strike in the Russian-occupied east, which Moscow said targeted a college dormitory and killed at least 18 people.
However, Ukraine has denied targeting civilians, saying it had targeted a Russian drone unit deployed in the Starobilsk area of the Luhansk region.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko
Don’t let algorithms hide news. If you rely on our team for reliable reporting, please take a momentSelect us as your favorite source on Google by clicking here and pressing the “Star” or “Favorite” button That’s why you’ll always see our verified news first.