Russia launched its first missile attack on Kyiv since August Wednesday morning, sending residents scrambling for shelter as Ukrainian air defenses intercepted two cruise missiles, two ballistic missiles, and 37 drones across the country.
“Putin is launching a missile attack on Kyiv right now,” Andriy Yermak, head of the president’s office, wrote on Telegram as explosions echoed across the capital. Though no major damage or casualties were reported in Kyiv, falling debris injured a 48-year-old man and ignited a warehouse fire in the surrounding region.
The assault marks an escalation from the near-nightly drone attacks that have disrupted life in the capital for weeks. About 100 residents, including sleeping children on yoga mats and elderly women in fold-out chairs, took shelter in the central Universitet metro station.
“The mornings are totally ruined. I started college in September and every morning has been ruined by the bloody Russians. I cannot sleep, cannot think and I drink energy drinks all the time,” said Mykyta, a teenager huddled with his dog in the metro station.
Ukrainian officials warn the attack could herald renewed strikes on the power grid as winter approaches. Andrii Kovalenko, a senior National Security and Defence Council official, said Russia has accumulated cruise missiles for another “massive” assault, similar to the August 26 attack that killed seven people and deployed over 200 drones and missiles.
Power grid operator Ukrenergo announced restrictions on electricity supply for businesses due to “significantly” lower power imports and generation, though it was unclear if the limitations were directly related to Wednesday’s attack. The restrictions will affect Kyiv, its surrounding region, and the regions of Odesa, Dnipro, and Donetsk, according to DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private power generator.
City mayor Vitali Klitschko reported a drone still flying over central Kyiv Wednesday morning as air raid alerts continued to sound across the city and buzz on residents’ phones.
REUTERS
