The Ukrainian capital has reportedly been bombarded by ballistic missiles, just days after Vladimir Putin warned diplomats to leave the city 'as soon as possible'. Large plumes of smoke were seen billowing above Kyiv early on Tuesday as locals scrambled to underground Metro stations to take shelter.
Mayor Reports Fires and Damage
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said a fire had broken out at a nine-storey apartment block after debris from a nearby non-residential property, which was also up in flames, fell onto its roof. Residents were reported to have been left trapped under rubble near the building, but it remains unclear if there were any casualties or fatalities. Mr Klitschko said on Telegram: 'In the Obolon district, cars are burning after being struck by falling missile debris. There are also fires at two locations in open areas, including one near a kindergarten.'
Air Force Warnings and Civilian Response
Earlier in the day, the country's Air Force warned citizens of incoming ballistic missiles before the military urged Ukrainians to find shelter. Pictures showed frightened locals packed into subway stations with overnight bags flung over their shoulders. In footage shared to social media, loud explosions could be heard as what appeared to be drones struck Kyiv.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia had also attacked the cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, just hours after missiles were thought to have been launched towards the eastern European nation from the Caspian Sea.
Zelensky Warns of Potential Massive Strike
President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned his people on Monday that a 'massive' strike from Russia could be inbound. Zelensky said: 'Intelligence warnings regarding Russian strikes remain in effect. A massive strike is possible, they have prepared one. Our defenders are ready 24/7 to the fullest extent possible with the supplies currently available.'
The strike comes a little more than a week after Russia's foreign ministry threatened to launch further 'systematic strikes' on its neighbouring country, which it said would target 'decision-making centres and command posts'. Russia called on foreign nationals and diplomats to leave 'as soon as possible' while warning civilians to stay clear of government and military buildings. It said the action was in response to a drone strike last week on a dormitory in Ukraine's Russian-held Luhansk region. Russia claimed the attack killed 21 people, though Ukraine denied carrying it out.
Previous Attacks and Ukrainian Response
Strikes on Ukraine's capital between May 22 and May 24 left four people killed and around 11 injured, according to Zelensky. However, over the weekend, Ukraine launched an attack of its own and struck an oil pumping station some 800 miles into Russian territory. Plumes of smoke were seen drifting into the air above Lazarevo pumping station in Kirov, around 500 miles north-east of Moscow, on Sunday. Ukraine claimed to have deployed drones to a number of energy and industrial sites far beyond the frontline, with a 'civil infrastructure' in Saratov another which was hit.
Zelensky later confirmed that his soldiers had taken aim at Russian fuel supplies in an X post on Sunday evening. The Ukrainian leader shared a video of the aftermath of the strikes, which showed fires erupting and large clouds of smoke drifting into the sky over Russian territory. He said: 'During the night, our soldiers applied long-range sanctions against an oil refinery in Saratov, Russia. This is about 700km (430 miles) from the front line. There were also strikes in the Rostov and Kirov regions, as well as at a military base on the Caspian Sea coast.'
In an earlier post on X, Zelensky stressed that operations on Russia's fuel supplies directly affect Vladimir Putin's capacity to wage war. He said: 'This is what genuinely impacts Russia's potential for aggression. Russia could have ended this war with peace long ago, but it continues to choose prolongation and escalation.'
