Russia attacked Kyiv with ballistic missiles

Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital and other cities across the country with drones and ballistic missiles before dawn on Saturday, killing at least four people and injuring dozens, Ukrainian officials said. .

Air-raid alarms continued to sound as emergency crews scrambled to find the dead and wounded — routine practice in a country that has been battered by three years of incessant Russian bombing.

The Ukrainian Air Force said four ballistic missiles and 39 attack drones were used in the attack, adding that two ballistic missiles were fired in the Kyiv region, the capital.

In Kyiv, an attack destroyed a water main near the city center, sending water pouring into the streets around the facade of the Lukyanivska metro station. A van was on fire nearby, with smoke still rising from inside and two charred bodies inside.

As the fire burned deep into an industrial building across the street, firefighters tried to pull debris away from the heavily damaged McDonald’s. Others focused on the large amounts of glass, debris and insulation covering sidewalks near subway stations – often places where residents seek safety during attacks.

As investigators walked up and down the street, wading through flowing water to search for debris, local merchants tried to break through the police cordon.

“It’s scary because this place just keeps getting bigger and bigger.” Some things are blocked, but others always pass. It’s always scary, especially since my husband owns a shop here,” said Yana, 30, who would only give her first name. “It’s just scary. There is no peace at all. We came to see if everything was fine, and thank God everything is fine. We are very happy and relieved.”

The missile attack came after Ukrainian air defense teams spent hours tracking and trying to shoot down attack drones in the skies above the country.

Russia uses drones to strike targets and destroy air defense teams, and for months, they have been flying them into Ukraine almost every night. Many “dumb” drones, without warheads, are designed to defeat air defense teams on 24-hour surveillance.

Kyiv is trying to maintain a more sophisticated air defense system to combat cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, which are more deadly and expensive to produce.

Just before an air raid alert went off in Kyiv shortly before 6:00 a.m., sounds were heard throughout the city. Seconds later, the little boy started wailing.

There were also explosions in other parts of Ukraine.

In Zaporizhzhia, in the south, at least 10 people were injured, including one seriously, after a strike on infrastructure. The city has been hit by heavy attacks recently, including a strike this month that killed 13 civilians and wounded at least 110, according to Ukrainian officials.

The United Nations estimates that the number of civilian deaths will increase by 30 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, as Russia plans to bomb Ukraine into submission.

Saturday’s attack came a day after Russian missiles hit the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, killing four. PEOPLE and destroys houses.

“Each terrorist attack like this is another reminder of who we are together,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said after the strike in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih. “Russia will not stop by itself. Only collective pressure can be prevented. The pressure of everyone in the world who values ​​life.”

Ukraine has built up its arsenal of long-range missiles and drones to attack it. In recent weeks, he has stepped up his campaign to target Russian oil and gas facilities.

The campaign continued on Saturday, with fires reported at warehouses in the Tula region, south of Moscow, and the Kaluga region, about 100 miles southwest. Moscow.

Liubov Sholudko participated in the report from Kiev.