Russia fired a barrage of drones and ballistic missiles at the Ukrainian capital and other cities across the country in the early hours of Saturday, killing at least four people and wounding at least a dozen others, Ukrainian officials said.
Air raid sirens were still blaring as emergency services scrambled to find casualties, a terrifyingly familiar routine in a country that has suffered relentless Russian bombing for nearly three years.
Ukraine’s air force said four ballistic missiles and 39 attack drones were used in the attack, adding that two ballistic missiles were shot down in the Kiev region of the capital.
In Kiev, the attack ruptured a water main near the city center, causing water to cascade down the streets around the dilapidated facade of Lukyanivska metro station. Nearby was a charred van with smoke billowing from it and two charred bodies inside.
A fire broke out deep inside an industrial building across the street, and some firefighters were trying to pull debris out of a heavily damaged McDonald’s storefront. Others were focused on giant chunks of glass, debris and insulation covering the sidewalk near the subway station. This is usually where residents seek safety in the event of an attack.
Local shopkeepers tried to break through the police cordon as investigators walked up and down the street, reaching into the flowing water to look for debris.
“It’s very scary because this place has been attacked over and over again. Some are intercepted and others are sure to get through. Especially since my husband owns a store here. I’m always very scared,” said Yana, 30, who gave only her first name. “It’s just scary. There will never be peace. We came to see if everything was intact, and thank God, everything is fine. We were so happy and relieved. .”
The missile attack came after Ukrainian air defense teams spent hours tracking and shooting down attack drones over the country’s skies.
Russia uses drones to attack targets and deplete air defense teams, and has been sending swarms of drones into Ukraine almost every night for months. Many are “dummy” drones without warheads, intended to overwhelm mobile air defense teams that monitor them around the clock.
Kiev is seeking to secure more advanced air defense systems to counter cruise and ballistic missiles, which are more lethal and expensive to produce.
The air raid warning had just been lifted in Kiev just before 6 a.m., and thumps could be heard throughout the city. A few seconds later, the air raid siren started blaring.
Explosions were also reported in other parts of Ukraine.
At least 10 people were injured, including one in critical condition, after an infrastructure attack in the southern city of Zaporizhia. The city has come under heavy attack recently, including strikes this month that killed 13 civilians and injured at least 110, Ukrainian officials said.
The United Nations estimated that civilian casualties increased by 30 percent in 2024 compared to 2023 as Russia seeks to bring Ukraine to its knees.
Saturday’s attack came a day after a Russian missile struck the city of Kryvyiyiv in central Ukraine, killing four people. people and damage buildings.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after the attack on his hometown of Krivy Rikh: “Each terrorist attack like this is a reminder of who we are up against.” “Russia will not stop on its own. It can only be stopped by the pressure of joints. The pressure of people all over the world who value life.”
Ukraine is building its own arsenal of missiles and long-range drones in preparation for a counterattack. In recent weeks, it has stepped up operations targeting oil and gas facilities deep in Russia.
The operation continued on Saturday, with fires reported at oil depots in the Tula region south of Moscow and the Kaluga region about 160 miles southwest of Moscow.
Lyubov Sholdko I contributed a report from Kyiv.
