Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – A barrage of Russian missile and drone strikes killed nine people and wounded dozens across Ukraine, authorities said on Tuesday, just days after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing a "massive new strike".
Issued on: 02/06/2026 - 04:32Modified: 02/06/2026 - 06:11
3 min Reading time
Smoke billows from a fire during drone and missile attacks in Kyiv on June 2, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine © Evgen KOTENKO / AFP
Moscow has bombarded Ukraine almost daily since launching an offensive in 2022, often provoking retaliation from Kyiv, as talks to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II remain stalled. AFP journalists heard several explosions in the Ukrainian capital, where local authorities said Russia struck with ballistic missiles, setting off fires and cutting power in several districts. "Explosions in the city. Air defence forces are working! Stay in shelters!" Klitschko had warned earlier.Residents rushed to shelters clutching bags and blankets, AFP journalists observed, as a large plume of smoke emanated from Kyiv's city centre."The enemy is striking with ballistic missiles," Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv's City Military Administration, said.
