Missiles rain down in revenge attack on Kyiv
RUSSIA launched a major aerial assault on the Ukrainian capital yesterday – the first time it has been hit for 44 days.
Vladimir Putin ordered his armed forces to once again blitz Kyiv just days after his re-election.
Russia fired 31 ballistic and cruise missiles at the city before dawn as most residents were in bed.
It was the largest attack in weeks and follows a vow from Moscow for revenge over recent raids by Ukraine on its border regions and oil refineries.
Air defences reportedly shot down all the incoming missiles, but 17 people including a young child were injured by falling wreckage, authorities said.
Injuries
Terrified residents were woken by loud explosions at around 5am as the rockets arrived at roughly the same time from different directions, said Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Administration.
And Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles against the capital.
An 11-year-old girl and a 38-year-old man were hospitalised, the city administration said.
And 15 other people had light injuries, according to MayorVitali Klitschko.
Ukraine’s Emergency Service said around 80 people were evacuated from their homes.
Falling wreckage from the intercepted missiles set fire to at least one apartment building, burned parked cars and left craters in streets and a small park. Roads were littered with debris, including glass from shattered windows.
The attack came after repeated Ukraine aerial raids in recent days on Russia’s Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately called on the West for more anti-missile help.
He said: “New Russian missile attack on Kyiv. Over 30 missiles were shot down, including an air-launched ballistic missile.
“People were injured and they are receiving the necessary assistance.
“Such terror continues every day and night.
“It is possible to put an end to it through global unity when it helps us with air defence systems.”
And the president added: “Russian terrorists do not have missiles capable of bypassing Patriot and other leading world systems. This protection is required in Ukraine now – from Kyiv to Kharkiv, Sumy to Kherson, and Odesa to the Donetsk region.
“This is entirely possible if our partners demonstrate sufficient political will.”
But an unrepentant Putin said Russia “can respond in the same way regarding civilian infrastructure and all other objects of this kind that the enemy attacks.
“We have our own views on this matter and our own plans. We will follow what we have outlined.”