Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, experienced a series of explosions in the latest Russian air attack on the city. This marked the 15th assault in May and the second overnight attack in a row.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the missile strike near Kyiv, stating on the Telegram messaging channel, “Air defense working!” The blasts were heard in various districts of the city, including the historic neighborhood of Podil, where falling debris damaged a house. Fortunately, preliminary reports from the mayor and the city’s military administration indicate no casualties from the overnight attacks.
This recent attack, a combination of missiles and drones, followed the largest drone barrage unleashed on Kyiv the previous night, resulting in one fatality and several injuries. Kyiv’s air defenses successfully shot down 40 drones in and around the capital during the early hours of Sunday. The majority of these drones were reportedly Iranian-made Shahed loitering munitions, according to the Kyiv Independent news website.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the country’s air defense forces for their efforts in protecting Ukraine. He also called on the parliament to impose sanctions against Iran for supplying Russia with weapons, including the Shahed drones.
Russia’s attacks on Ukraine have been occurring multiple times per week, with the frequency intensifying. As Ukraine prepares for a long-anticipated counteroffensive to reclaim territories captured by Russia over the past 15 months, Moscow has escalated its assaults, targeting military infrastructure and supplies.
While Ukraine rarely publicly acknowledges responsibility for attacks within Russia, there have been reports of raids targeting military, energy, and transport infrastructure in the country. Moscow has attributed these attacks to Kyiv.
