Ten people were injured Monday morning in kyiv by debris from Russian missiles shot down by air defense in the skies of the Ukrainian capital, authorities announced. “The enemy launched two ballistic missiles from the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea. The two enemy missiles were destroyed” by air defense, the head of the Kiev military administration, Serguii Popko, said on the networks social.
Three attacks in five days
This is the third explosive missile or drone attack on the capital in five days, as Russia has recently intensified its strikes on Ukraine, targeting energy infrastructure, following deadly Ukrainian bombings on border regions Russians. On Monday in kyiv, “five people were injured in the Pechersky district. Three were treated on the spot. Two were hospitalized,” Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on social networks. Later, the toll was increased to ten people injured.
AFP journalists heard several explosions around 10:30 a.m., just after the air alert sirens were triggered. Debris from the downed missiles also damaged non-residential buildings, according to the mayor. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba released a video he said showed schoolchildren running toward a shelter at the time of the attack. “This shows that Ukraine urgently needs more air defense, including Patriot systems and missiles capable of repelling any Russian attack,” he wrote.
Advance of the Russian army
After more than two years of war, kyiv is suffering Russian advances on the front and is daily urging its Western allies to deliver military assistance more quickly, including munitions, more air defense systems and fighter jets. Significant American aid is still blocked in Congress due to opposition between Republicans and Democrats, and the Europeans, whose production capacities are limited, are slow to deliver the shells promised in recent months.
The attack on kyiv came after a Russian drone attack in southern Ukraine left a dozen people injured overnight, and as a power plant in Russia was on fire following a Ukrainian drone attack.