Firefighters were seen extinguishing flames in an industrial area of Kyiv region, Ukraine, on Wednesday, following a Russian missile strike. REUTERS
Russia intensified its assaults on Kyiv early on Wednesday, launching a series of drones and missiles in what authorities described as the first combined aerial attack on the capital in over 70 days. This escalation occurred as Washington and Seoul echoed Ukrainian warnings that North Korean troops had started 'engaging in combat operations' alongside Russian forces near the border of the warring nations. A security source in Kyiv also informed AFP that Ukraine was responsible for the assassination of a high-ranking Russian naval officer in a car bombing on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Ukraine's air force reported that its units had successfully shot down four missiles and 37 drones launched by Russia across eight regions of the country overnight and into Wednesday morning. 'It is crucial that our forces possess the capabilities to defend the nation against Russian terror,' President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in response to the attack. Ukraine has been urging its Western allies for months to supply additional air-defense systems to counter Russian attacks on cities and critical infrastructure.
The extensive bombardment comes at a pivotal time on the battlefield, with Russian forces making advances in the east and concerns mounting over future aid for Ukraine following the victory of US President Donald Trump in the recent elections. AFP journalists in Kyiv reported hearing explosions and witnessed dozens of residents seeking refuge in an underground metro station in the capital's center. Kyiv officials confirmed that one man was injured by falling debris from a downed drone in the suburb of Brovary, while emergency services shared images of firefighters tackling flames at one impact site.
A separate drone attack in the Ukrainian-controlled southern region of Kherson, which the Kremlin claims as part of Russia, resulted in the death of a 52-year-old woman, according to the regional head. Multiple air raid sirens sounded early on Wednesday as authorities warned of incoming missiles targeting Kyiv, which was home to nearly three million people before Russia's invasion in February 2022. 'As missiles approached Kyiv, the enemy simultaneously launched a ballistic missile attack on the capital. The enemy attack concluded with another drone strike,' city authorities stated.
This attack marks the latest in a series of escalating strikes on Ukrainian cities, predominantly in the south of the war-torn country. A recent Russian strike on Kryvyi Rig, Zelensky's hometown, claimed the lives of a 32-year-old mother and her three children. The Kremlin has consistently denied targeting civilians in Ukraine, a stance reiterated by its spokesman on Wednesday when asked whether Russian forces were taking steps to minimize civilian casualties. 'Russian forces treat the civilian population with utmost care,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, emphasizing that Russia would continue its attacks.
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