Russia fires ballistic and cruise missiles, rockets and drones in major assault on Ukraine

The Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv came under heavy assault in the early hours of Tuesday from a bombardment of Russian missiles and drones, the military administration of the capital said, with at least 10 people injured.

Air defence systems were activated across Ukraine as wave after wave of missiles interrupted Kyiv’s morning rush hour, just hours after Vladimir Putin promised to avenge what Moscow claimed was a Ukrainian attack on the Russian city of Belgorod killing 24 people.

“Explosions in the capital,” mayor Vitali Klitschko said on his official Telegram channel and asked people to head for shelters to take cover.

At least 10 people were injured in the Russian missile attack on Kyiv, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital said.

The Ukrainian air force said rockets fired from the Kherson region were also heading for Kyiv and other surrounding cities in central Ukraine.

Several photos and videos from across Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine posted on social media by locals showed fires and explosions from intercepted Russian missiles and debris falling on civilian infrastructure and buildings.

Russia also fired at least 11 kinzhal aeroballistic missiles and an uncounted number of Kh-47M2 Dagger aeroballistic missiles on parts of Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian air force’s Telegram channel. It also posted warnings saying Russia had fired ballistic missiles and that as many as 16 Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers were airborne.

The immediate scale and impact of the Russian missiles and rocket attacks is not clear. The city of Kharkiv was also under a “massive missile attack,” mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

Ukraine’s air force said it destroyed all 35 attack drones fired by Russia after midnight.

All of Ukrainian cities remained under air raid alert on Tuesday morning.

The debris from intercepted and destroyed missiles damaged gas pipelines in Kyiv’s Pecherskyi district, knocking out electricity connection in several buildings of the capital city.

Loud explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital, mayor Vitali Klitschko said, adding that the noise residents could hear was the work of Ukraine’s air defence systems engaged in downing the approaching drones.

The massive air attacks from Russia also forced Poland to deploy F-16 fighter jets and allied air tankers to protect Polish airspace, officials said.

The assault follows Russia’s largest air attack on Ukraine so far last Friday, which killed at least 39 people. In a repeat of scenes witnessed in the war last year, Russia appears to be targeting Ukraine’s power grid to throw millions into darkness amid sub-zero temperatures.

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