Kyiv attacked after Ukraine’s Zelenskyy warns of ‘massive Russian strike’

Explosions heard crossed Ukraine’s superior arsenic forces support against ballistic missiles and drones targeting the city.

Kyiv came nether ballistic rocket and drone onslaught overnight, with large harm inflicted and astatine slightest 2 radical killed and 11 injured aft Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of an impending “massive” onslaught by Russia.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, penning ⁠on the Telegram messaging platform, said the extortion of a edifice was connected occurrence aboriginal connected Thursday morning.

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Pictures posted online showed a occurrence burning retired of power astatine the apical of the ‌building connected the cardinal Shevchenko Boulevard.

“Kyiv is nether onslaught from ballistic missiles and UAVs,” Klitschko wrote, utilizing the acronym for unmanned aerial vehicles, oregon drones.

Klitschko aboriginal said that 11 radical were injured, with others trapped ⁠in a damaged nine-storey residential building, and the extortion of different high-rise flat gathering connected fire.

The AFP quality bureau aboriginal said 2 radical had been killed successful the attacks, according to metropolis authorities.

Pictures ⁠shared connected unofficial Telegram channels showed metropolis residents crowding into underground stations to structure from the Russian strikes.

Journalists with AFP successful the cardinal and eastbound districts of Kyiv reported proceeding much than a twelve explosions arsenic Ukraine’s Air Force warned that ballistic missiles were approaching the city.

In the streets, residents were seen making their mode to shelters, carrying sleeping mats nether their arms, according to AFP.

Smoke rises during a Russian rocket onslaught connected the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, connected Thursday morning, mounting disconnected fires and wounding astatine slightest 11 radical [Sergei Supinsky/AFP]

Zelenskyy issues informing earlier Russian attack

The strikes connected Kyiv came conscionable hours aft Zelenskyy warned of an imminent “massive Russian strike” and urged Ukrainians to instrumentality shelter.

“Today, we person accusation astir different monolithic Russian strike; we person applicable quality data,” Zelenskyy said during a associated quality league successful Dublin with Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin connected Wednesday.

In a station connected X, Zelenskyy said: “Immediately aft this conversation, I americium returning to Ukraine”.

He called connected citizens to beryllium “especially careful” and “stay harmless and support your families and children” by heeding aerial raid alerts.

“We cognize that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has been preparing a monolithic onslaught against Ukraine for immoderate time. That is precisely the menace we are facing tonight,” helium added.

Zelenskyy besides accused Russia of “completely refusing to extremity the war” it launched successful February 2022, contempt Ukrainian efforts done “all imaginable authoritative and unofficial channels” to convey readiness for “meetings and meaningful negotiations”.

Putin “sees lone further aggression against Ukraine and against different neighbours and Europe arsenic a whole”, Zelenskyy said.