Kiev: More than 20 people have been killed and over 100 injured in another major Russian missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev and other parts of the country, Ukrainian officials reported on Tuesday. Powerful explosions disturbed the sleep of residents in Kiev overnight, resulting in at least six fatalities and 66 injuries, with three children among the injured, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
According to Ghana News Agency, several buildings in Kiev were damaged, leading to fires and prompting many residents to seek refuge in metro stations and bunkers. Parts of the city experienced temporary power outages and disruptions to water supplies, with black smoke visible over central Kiev at dawn. In the Podilskyi district, a multi-storey residential building collapsed after being hit, raising fears of individuals trapped under the debris. Elsewhere in the city, a 15-storey apartment building sustained damage to its upper floors.
In the city of Dnipro, at least 16 people, including four children, were killed, and 42 others injured in the assaults. Olexander Hanzha, the military governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, disclosed that the bodies of a woman and an 8-year-old boy were recovered from the rubble. The casualty count might rise as rescue operations continue.
The city of Kharkiv, near the Russian border, reported at least 10 injuries, according to the city's mayor. The state-owned gas company Naftogaz mentioned an attack on a 'key facility' by drones and missiles, though no casualties were reported. A locomotive in Kharkiv was also targeted by a drone, injuring a railway worker. Russia extended its attacks to Zaporizhzhya, damaging several residential structures, though details on casualties remain undisclosed.
Many regions experienced power cuts due to the attacks. Ukrenergo, the utility company, advised the public to limit the use of high-power appliances to midday hours to prevent overloading the grid. The Ukrainian Air Force reported the use of ballistic and cruise missiles, including the Zircon hypersonic weapon, in the attacks.
In neighboring Poland, military air defenses were placed on alert, and aircraft were scrambled in response to the Russian attacks. Poland often elevates its readiness during major Russian strikes on Ukraine, sometimes involving NATO partner fighter jets.
Moscow justified the attacks as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Kiev of 'crimes against children and young people' following a drone attack on a dormitory in the Luhansk region, resulting in 21 fatalities. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed the attacks targeted military sites using 'high-precision weapons.' The targets included arms industry enterprises and infrastructure supporting the Ukrainian armed forces.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed these sentiments, stating the strikes were directed at military infrastructure. He suggested that for the war to end, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must withdraw his armed forces from the claimed Russian regions. Russia has annexed Ukrainian territories, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya, despite not having full control over these areas.