Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv early Sunday, causing fires and wounding at least three civilians, according to local officials. The strikes on the capital occurred as Ukrainian drone attacks have been targeting advances by the Russian army within Russia.
In Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, Kremlin-installed authorities reported that a Ukrainian drone strike killed four civilians in the city of Horlivka. Ivan Prikhodko, the city’s Russian-appointed mayor, stated that the city had been under fire since early Sunday.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed that its forces downed 133 Ukrainian drones over Russia, the Black Sea, and Crimea overnight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously warned on Friday that intelligence indicated Russia was preparing missiles for a large attack within the next 48 hours.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that blasts rocked the capital in the early hours of Sunday, with falling debris igniting a blaze in a tower block near the historic center. He added that falling debris also set fire to buildings, cars, and car parks elsewhere in the city, and that three people were wounded, one requiring hospital treatment.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed that its latest attack on Kyiv targeted sites linked to drone production. However, Ukraine’s general staff reported that its air defenses shot down 12 of the 15 missiles and all 21 drones Russia launched overnight.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, a drone strike on Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, killed one person and wounded at least six others, including two children, according to Mayor Igor Terekhov. In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian glide bomb attack killed one man and wounded at least six other people, Mayor Ivan Fedorov reported. Both Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia have been frequent targets of Russian attacks.
This exchange follows a major Russian strike near Kyiv on Friday that killed at least 10 people and wounded around 100 others. Finnish President Alexander Stubb commented on Sunday that Ukraine’s position is stronger than ever since the war began, emphasizing the critical need for continued support from Ukraine's partners to maintain momentum, seemingly alluding to Kyiv’s recent drone campaign against Russian energy sites and military supply lines.