Russia launches missile barrage on Kyiv as Ukraine escalates strikes on Russian oil facilities
KYIV: Russia launched ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv early Thursday, triggering explosions across the Ukrainian capital hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing a major overnight assault and renewed appeals for Western air defense support.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russia was attacking the city with ballistic missiles and urged residents to seek shelter. Reuters witnesses reported multiple explosions across the capital, while Klitschko said fires broke out at several non-residential sites.
The strikes came after Zelensky cautioned that Russia had prepared “a massive attack” and urged Ukrainians to heed air raid alerts nationwide.
“It is important that our partners fully understand what is happening and that the protection of people’s lives depends directly on their willingness, or lack of willingness, to provide air defense missiles,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram, singling out the United States and other countries operating Patriot air defense systems.
