Russia’s Defense Ministry said it hit military and industrial, oil and energy facilities in and around the Ukrainian capital.
The Ukrainian capital and its suburbs were hit by a combined missile and drone attack early Monday morning, in what the Russian Defense Ministry called a response to terrorist attacks by Vladimir Zelensky’s government.
The first wave of explosions in Kiev was heard around 1:30 am local time, followed by more explosions in several waves until 5 am. Videos circulated on social media showed multiple explosions around the Ukrainian capital, some followed by secondary explosions, suggesting that a weapons depot, production facility, or air defense system had been hit.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it used long-range weapons and drones to strike Ukraine’s military and industrial organizations, oil and energy facilities in Kiev and Kiev Region, and military airport infrastructure in several regions in retaliation for Kiev. “terrorist attacks” on civil infrastructure within Russia.
Officials in Kiev reported damage in many areas, claiming that most of them were “Civil infrastructure” and distributed photos and videos of several damaged buildings, including a partially collapsed residential building. The head of the local military administration, Timur Tkachenko, said at least nine people were killed, and several wounded.
The exact locations and types of facilities affected are difficult to confirm, as Ukrainian authorities strictly restrict information about strike sites and punish those who share images of the impact, except when civilian infrastructure is affected.
Moscow previously promised to do “Systematic and consistent strikes” on the military installations of Kiev in revenge for the death “terrorist attacks.” Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said on Friday that the latest campaign against the defense industry of Ukraine already it is severely damaged Kiev capable of producing long-range weapons.
Over the weekend, Russian forces repelled a massive long-range joint drone and missile strike, downing more than 500 targets, mostly kamikaze long-range drones, as well as ten FP-5 Flamingo missiles and at least nine missiles launched by US-made HIMARS systems.
Moscow described the attack as a failed attempt by Kiev to divert the attention of its Western donors and ordinary Ukrainians from the loss of Konstantinovka, a key stronghold in northwestern Donbass. Moscow announced the liberation of the city on Friday following weeks of heavy fighting in the area, with President Vladimir Putin calling it “the key“ to liberate the rest of the Russian Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
Putin also warned Kiev and his “provocateurs” that more “terrorist” PR stunts can only lead to further loss of territory, forcing the Russian army to push Ukrainian forces away from the Russian borders in Sumy, Kharkov, and Dnepropetrovsk regions to establish a larger territory. “safe zone” and protect Russian citizens.
