High-rise massively damaged
Kiev: Air defense probably shoots down plane
02/25/2022 10:03 am
Around 4 o’clock explosions are heard in Kiev. Then there is a huge bang and a fireball falls on the city. The Ukrainian military claims a Russian plane was shot down, but Russia disagrees. A skyscraper is massively damaged – perhaps by debris, perhaps by shelling.
Loud explosions were heard in the center of the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Friday morning. According to the adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, Anton Herashchenko, Ukrainian forces shot down an enemy aircraft over Kiev. The rubble fell into a residential building and set it on fire, Herashchenko writes on Telegram. According to the Kyiv city administration, three people were injured.
It is unclear whether the downing was actually a Russian plane. The Ukrainian army announced on its Facebook account that it had destroyed two missiles. There are pictures showing parts of a Russian Kalibr rocket. They are said to have been found during the extinguishing work on the damaged high-rise building. Russian media reportedly claimed their units eliminated a Ukrainian plane instead. Nexta portal shows images of debris, which probably come from a Ukrainian machine of the type “SU-27” and which are said to have fallen in a residential area. However, it is unclear whether this is Kiev and whether the photos are up to date.
It is also unclear whether the house was actually hit by wreckage or severely damaged by Russian rocket fire. There are different accounts of this on social media. In any case, there is a fear that the building could collapse, the media report. News portal Nexta reports that 150 people were evacuated and 20 people were rescued. The number of injured is given as eight.
The launch is believed to have taken place around 4:20 a.m. local time. Sirens warning of air raids have been wailing in the city since early morning. Rocket attacks have also been reported from other parts of the country. Many people in Kiev, but also in Kharkiv, fled into the subway tunnel and are holding out there.
Meanwhile, Russian troops are advancing on Kiev from the north. There is heavy fighting northwest of the city. Ukrainian units are said to have destroyed several bridges to prevent tanks from advancing. The strategically important Hostomel airfield is also fiercely contested, the General Staff of Ukraine said. Ukrainian troops held out there. The airport initially came under Russian control yesterday after heavy fighting, but was later recaptured by Ukrainian units.