2 months ago
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An explosion after a Russian missile strike is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian missile attack, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv. (Reuters)
Kyiv withstood a significant missile assault early Monday morning as Russia launched its third major attack on
Ukraine
in a week. The barrage, which occurred at the start of the school year, resulted in multiple explosions across Kyiv and other cities.
The attack began around 5:30 am, with an air raid alert lifted an hour later. At least two people were reported injured.
This offensive coincided with ongoing intense battles in eastern Ukraine and followed a Ukrainian drone strike on Russian infrastructure the previous day.
Preliminary reports indicated that the assault involved a combination of
Kh-101 missiles
launched from Tu-95MS bombers and KN-24/Iskander-M ballistic missiles. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) also participated in the attack.
Kyiv’s military administration reported that
air defense forces
managed to intercept and destroy over 20 missiles, including both cruise and ballistic types. “We faced a huge number of ballistic missiles simultaneously,” said Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration.
The Ukrainian Air Force later confirmed that Russia had launched 58 airborne weapons during the assault, reported the Kyiv Post. This included:
- 16 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles.
- 14 Kh-101 cruise missiles.
- 4 S-300/S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles.
- 23 Shahed-131/136 attack drones.
Ukrainian forces effectively countered the attack, successfully downing 22 out of 35 missiles and 20 out of 23 drones. This includes:
- 9 of 16 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles.
- 13 of 14 Kh-101 cruise missiles.
- 20 of 23 Shahed-131/136 drones.
The assault impacted several regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Poltava, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia. Despite the destruction, Kyiv's schools continue to operate, with many providing bomb shelters for students, adhering to regulations implemented after Russia's 2022 invasion.
