Russian Missile Barrage on Kiev, Rare Attack in Broad Daylight

Russia fired a barrage of missiles into Kiev on Monday, causing panic among residents who were trying to take shelter from this rare attack launched in broad daylight and after another night of strikes on Ukraine.

Another rare fact, the Ukrainian authorities have publicly admitted that a military site in the west of the country had been hit by the strikes of the night.

After the night bombardments which did not cause major damage in the capital, the anti-aircraft sirens sounded again in the morning, followed by a series of explosions around 11:10 a.m. local time (0810 GMT).

“A total of 11 Iskander-M and Iskander-K type missiles were launched from the north” at kyiv and its region, he said.

“The enemy carried out missile strikes against Ukrainian territory, for the second time in 24 hours”, underlined the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Valery Zaluzhny, assuring that all the projectiles of this attack of the morning had been slaughtered.

Prime Minister Denys Chmygal denounced this “sixteenth” attack on kyiv since the beginning of the month. “Russia is purposely terrorizing the civilian population,” he said.

“Explosions in the city, in central districts,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram. “The air defense is in action,” added the kyiv military administration.

Terrified schoolchildren

Faced with the force and intensity of the explosions during the interception of the Russian missiles, many residents rushed to take refuge in underground shelters, especially in the metro.

A video shared on social networks showed dozens of schoolchildren running screaming in terror down a street in a historic district of kyiv at the sound of explosions.

“We are at the Khrechtchatyk metro station because there is an air raid,” Maksym, a 27-year-old resident, told AFP. “I saw 6, 7 or 8 – a number of explosions in the sky. That’s why I came here with my colleagues.”

Russia has stepped up its aerial attacks on the Ukrainian capital since the beginning of the month, but so far almost all of them have taken place at night.

According to the mayor, a man was injured and hospitalized following this attack.

Debris from downed missiles fell on at least three neighborhoods located in the north and east of the capital, notably causing a fire, according to the military administration.

“At first they started intercepting missiles as usual. Then one of them fell on the road. ‘AFP Dmytro, a witness.

“It was quite noisy, there were several explosions. The interception of the missile was around 6-5 explosions,” he added.

40 cruise missiles

Earlier in the day, the Khmelnytsky regional administration in western Ukraine said a military site had been hit by a Russian attack overnight, implying that it was depots and an army airfield.

Authorities reported “fires in fuel depots” and military equipment and a damaged airstrip.

“Five flying devices have been taken out of service,” the administration said again, without giving further details.

The Ukrainian authorities usually make almost no mention of their military losses.

Shortly after this announcement, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that it had struck “aerodromes” in Ukraine during the night and assured that it had “destroyed” all its targets, including “aeronautical equipment” and “facilities used for the storage of weapons. and ammunition”.

Beyond this attack in the west, the night was marked by a new massive air attack against Ukraine, the day after the “largest” drone strike on Kiev since the start of the Russian invasion.

“Up to 40 cruise missiles” were fired overnight from planes over the Caspian Sea and “about 35 drones” from the north and south, Commander Valery Zaloujny said on Monday.

In kyiv, the capital alone, “more than 40 aerial targets” were destroyed” during the night, according to the military administration.