As Russia attacked with Missiles , air raid sirens started blaring across the capital at approximately 3:45 a.m. followed by explosions as Ukrainian defense systems intercepted missiles.
According to Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Russia fired 18 cruise missiles from the Murmansk and Caspian regions, and Ukrainian defense systems intercepted 15 of them.
Head of Kyiv’s city administration, Serhii Popko, announced that the city had shot down all missiles and some drones, but he did not provide further details.
This attack follows Friday’s launch of over 20 cruise missiles and two explosive drones at Ukraine, the first to target Kyiv in nearly two months.
Russian missiles hit an apartment building in Uman, killing 21 people, including three children. Uman is a city about 215 kilometers (135 miles) south of Kyiv.
In Monday’s attack, missiles struck Pavlohrad in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region. This killed two people and injuring 40. This is according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russian forces fired seven missiles at the city, and while some were intercepted, others hit an industrial facility, causing a fire. Regional authorities reported damage to 24 apartment buildings, 89 homes, six schools, and five shops.
Missiles also hit three other areas in the Dnipropetrovsk region, damaging residential buildings and a school, said Serhii Lysak, the region’s top official.
Statement From Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Monday that Russia conducted “a group missile strike with long-range precision-guided airborne. The attackers struck all designated facilities, including seaborne weapons on facilities of Ukraine’s defense industry.
A Russian-installed official in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, Vladimir Rogov, said the attack hit ammunition and fuel depots in Pavlohrad, which he said would impede Ukraine’s planned counteroffensive.
The attacks also damaged Ukraine’s power network infrastructure. It will take several days to repair, according to Ukraine’s energy minister, Herman Haluschenko.
He reported that the power outage had left nearly 20,000 people in the city of Kherson and the surrounding area without electricity. This is along with others in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Moscow has frequently launched long-range missile attacks during the 14-month war, often indiscriminately hitting civilian areas.
Ukrainian TV reported that Natalia Humeniuk, southern regional military spokeswoman, said that Russian forces are especially focused on destroying logistical routes of Ukraine’s armed forces. Also the centers of Ukraine’s armed forces in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Bolstering Ukraine’s capabilities for the counteroffensive are recent deliveries of American-made Patriot missiles that improve anti-missile defenses.
It’s unclear if they tried to prevent the attack on Monday morning.
In addition, Ukraine has been building up its mechanized brigades with armor supplied by its Western allies, who have also been training Ukrainian troops and sending ammunition.