Russia attacked Ukraine’s capital with drones and ballistic missiles into the early hours of Saturday, as officials said at least three people were killed in central Kiev as part of a wider attack targeting towns and cities across the country.
Air raid alarms rang out as emergency crews raced to search for the dead and wounded – an all-too-familiar affair in a nation that has been under relentless Russian bombing for nearly three years. Moscow called the attack Ukraine’s response to attacks on Russian territoryseems to have intensified in recent weeks.
The Ukrainian Air Force said that 4 ballistic missiles and 39 attack drones were launched in the attack, and two of the ballistic missiles were shot down in the Kyiv region. Although the city is attacked by drones almost every night, ballistic missile launches targeting the capital are less frequent.
The pre-dawn attack broke a water main near the city center, sending water onto the streets around the destroyed facade of the Lukyanivska metro station. Nearby, smoke rose from a burnt-out van with at least two charred bodies inside.
Some firefighters were trying to drag debris from the front of the heavily damaged McDonald’s as flames burned deep inside an industrial building across the street. Others focused on the large pieces of glass, debris and insulation lining the sidewalks outside the subway station — where residents usually seek safety during attacks.
Investigators walked up and down the street holding their hands in running water in search of shrapnel, while some shopkeepers tried to get past the police cordon.
“It’s very scary because it keeps hitting here,” said Yana, 30, who would only give her name. “Some things are captured, but some always pass away.”
When the waters receded, a large crater was visible in the middle of the road as the sun rose. Yuri Ihnat, Air Force spokesman. “Ukraine Pravda” publication was informed about this that one of the rockets was fired at low altitude, which would help explain the damage to the street and surrounding buildings.
Ukrainian air defense teams spent hours trying to track and shoot down attack drones in the country’s skies. Russia has been using drones to hit targets and wear out air defense groups, and has been sending them into Ukraine almost every night for months. Many are “dummy” drones with no warheads, designed to overwhelm mobile air defense teams under 24-hour surveillance.
Kiev is trying to reserve more sophisticated air defense systems to counter cruise and ballistic missiles, which are deadlier and more expensive to manufacture. Ballistic missiles also travel at high speeds, which can make them difficult for air defense systems to intercept.
An air raid alert had just ended in Kiev on Saturday, shortly before 6 a.m., when explosions were heard throughout the city. After a few seconds, the air raid sirens began to wail.
Although the authorities initially said that 4 people were killed, President Vladimir Zelensky later increased the death toll to 3 and said that 3 more people were injured in the attack.
One person was killed and at least 12 were injured in a separate attack in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya. They said that an industrial building was damaged along with houses, shops and a church.
Zaporizhzhya has been heavily attacked in recent weeks, including holiday this month According to Ukrainian officials, as a result, 13 civilians were killed and at least 110 people were injured.
On Saturday, the death toll from a Russian missile strike on Mr Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Roh in central Ukraine rose to five.
The United Nations estimated last week that civilian casualties are up 30 percent in 2024 from a year earlier as Russia tries to capitulate Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky flashed a familiar smile as he offered his condolences for those killed in Kiev and Zaporizhzhia, urging support for allies in the face of Russian aggression.
“All those who aided the Russian state in this war must face pressure as effective as these strikes,” he said in a statement. “We can achieve this only through unity with the whole world.”
As the death toll mounts in the nearly three-year-old war, Ukraine is building up its missile arsenal and long-range drones to retaliate. In recent weeks, Ukraine has stepped up its campaign to target oil and gas facilities deep in Russia – an attempt to break Moscow’s war machine on its soil.
These efforts continued on Saturday with the Ukrainian army said he hit the oil tank South of Moscow, Tula region. There were also reports of strikes in the Kaluga region, about 100 miles southwest of Moscow.
Ministry of Defense of Russia he said it was air defense During the night, 46 Ukrainian drones were captured, 5 in Tula region and 7 in Kaluga region. He did not comment on any damage.
Holiday in Kiev, ministry said in a separate statementIt was a response to the attack on Belgorod region of Russia.
Long aimed at limiting Moscow’s ability to strike Ukrainian cities, Kiev’s attacks inside Russia have taken on added significance in recent weeks. Ukrainian forces are fighting on the battlefield inside the country, and Donald J. Trump’s upcoming inauguration in Washington has raised questions about whether the United States will continue military support for Kiev.
Mr. Trump, who is there? publicly expressed his doubts He said he would continue aid to Ukraine after taking office on Monday, but said he would end the war quickly, without specifying how.
Efforts to clear the debris of the early morning attack continued throughout the day in Kyiv on Saturday. McDonald’s made a promise to repair its damaged restaurant — the chain’s first outpost in Ukraine when it opened in 1997.
At around 21:30, a new air raid warning was sounded for the capital. Then the sirens wailed again after midnight – and a boom was heard over the city. Authorities said air defense forces were working to intercept the drones and urged residents to take shelter again.
Mark SantoraLiubov Sholudko and Oleksandr Chubko contributed to the report.
