Ukraine downs missiles, drones in new attacks
Kiev, Ukraine — Ukraine said Friday it destroyed all 15 missiles and 21 drones from a new wave of overnight attacks that left two people wounded in Kyiv.
“The occupiers don’t stop trying to terrorize the capital of Ukraine with attack drones and missiles,” the air force said.
“All 15 cruise missiles and 21 attack drones were destroyed,” it added.
Relatively spared over the past several months, the capital has seen nearly daily air raids since the start of May, including a rare daytime attack on Monday.
“In the last six days, (Russians) have already carried out six attacks on the city!” said chief of the capital’s city administration Sergiy Popko on Telegram.
“After ballistic missiles the day before, this time the attack was combined: drone and cruise missiles at the same time,” he said.
An 11-year-old and a 68-year-old were wounded, according to a statement from the prosecutor general.
Andriy Nebitov, the head of the Kyiv police, said five residential buildings were damaged, presumably from falling debris.
The air raid alerts lasted more than two hours, Nebitov said.
The intensified strike on the capital, far from the war’s main hotspot in the east and south of the country, have raised questions on Russia’s motives.
AFP spoke to experts who pointed to broad goals of depleting Ukraine’s air defense, and hindering the planned offensive from Kyiv that seeks to regain territory occupied by Russia.
Ukrainian officials have also accused Russia of trying to “sow panic” among the population.
Moscow has repeatedly claimed to hit only military targets. —