Ukrainian officials said Russia launched a major missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev overnight, including ballistic missiles.
Kiev’s acting foreign minister said on Sunday that Moscow launched the largest number of ballistic missiles – nearly four dozen – in a single attack since the start of its full-scale war.
“We urge an appropriate and strong response. We need devastating pressure on Moscow to end this terror,” Andrey Sibiha wrote on X.
At least one person was killed and 16 others were injured, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Twitter, citing the country’s need for anti-ballistic interceptors.
He said, “Defense against ballistic missiles is our continued and highest priority right now. Interceptors are needed every day, and I am grateful to all who take our agreements seriously and ensure the delivery of anti-ballistic capabilities.”
What do we know about the latest attacks?
The attack began at about 1:30 a.m. local time (22:30 GMT, Saturday), and continued for several hours.
According to Kyiv’s air force, Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 18 of the 41 missiles launched by Russia overnight. It said 23 missiles and 10 drones hit 20 locations during the attack, which was primarily aimed at Kiev.
About 108 out of 125 Russian drones were also downed.
Eyewitnesses on the ground reported hearing multiple explosions, including from air defense systems. An AFP journalist reported that one of the explosions was so powerful that it set off car alarms throughout the city centre.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said there were several incidents of fires in residential and non-residential areas across the city. A dormitory, a residential block and a supermarket caught fire, he said in a series of posts on Telegram, adding that emergency services had been deployed.
Rescuers evacuated four people from a burning private house in the Svyatoshinsky district, while in the Shevchenkivsky district they rescued residents from a burning three-story building.
Russia’s latest attacks come a day after Ukraine sent attack drones to destroy e-commerce warehouses in the Moscow and Tambov regions, killing at least eight people and causing major fires. The same day, at least two people were killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine.
to repel Russian attacks
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is in its fifth year.
Both sides have regularly resorted to drone strikes, but Moscow has been increasing the use of ballistic missiles aimed at Kiev and other locations in Ukraine. This comes at a time when Kiev has warned of a depleting stock of interceptor missiles used to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.
US President Donald Trump recently said he was willing to grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, which would potentially strengthen Kiev’s defenses against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
However, details and timeline for implementing the decision remain unclear.
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Edited by: Shawn Sinico