Russia fires 31 missiles at Kyiv in overnight attack

First major attack on Ukrainian capital in 44 days leaves 13 people injured

Russia fires 31 missiles at Kyiv in overnight attack

Police officers inspect an explosion crater in Kyiv. Pic/AP

Russia fired 31 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv before dawn on Thursday in the first attack on the Ukrainian capital in 44 days, officials said. Air defenses shot down all the incoming missiles, though 13 people including a child were injured by falling wreckage, they said. An 11-year-old girl and a 38-year-old man were hospitalised.

Residents of Kyiv were woken up by loud explosions around 5 am as the missiles arrived at roughly the same time from different directions. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles against the capital.

Ukraine’s Emergency Service said around 80 people were evacuated from their homes. Falling wreckage from the intercepted missiles set fire to at least one apartment building, burned parked cars and left craters in streets and a small park. Some streets were littered with debris, including glass from shattered windows. The attack came after repeated Ukraine aerial attacks in recent days on Russia’s Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine.

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