Ukrainian officials said Russia targeted Ukraine's capital and other cities with drones and ballistic missiles into the early hours of Saturday, killing at least four people and injuring at least a dozen others.
Air raid alarms were still sounding as emergency crews raced to search for the dead and wounded – an all-too-familiar task in a nation that has been under relentless Russian bombing for nearly three years.
The Ukrainian Air Force stated that 4 ballistic missiles and 39 attack drones were used in the attack, and that two ballistic missiles were shot down in the capital city of Kyiv.
As a result of the attack in Kyiv, a water main burst near the city center, and water spilled onto the streets around the destroyed facade of the Lukyanivska metro station. Nearby was a burnt-out van, still billowing with smoke, with two charred bodies inside.
Some firefighters were trying to drag debris from the front of the heavily damaged McDonald's as flames burned deep inside an industrial building across the street. Others focused on the giant pieces of glass, trash and insulation lining the sidewalks near the subway station — where residents typically seek safety during attacks.
Local shopkeepers tried to get past the police cordon as investigators walked up and down the street holding their hands in running water in search of shrapnel.
“It's very scary because this place gets hit again and again. Some things are caught, but some always pass away. It's always very scary, especially since my husband has a shop here,” said Yana, 30, who would only give her first name. “It's just scary. There is never peace. We came to check if everything is complete, thank God, everything is fine. We are very happy and relieved.”
The missile attack came after Ukrainian air defense teams spent hours in the country's skies trying to track and shoot down attack drones.
Russia uses drones to both strike targets and launch air defense groups, and has been sending them into Ukraine almost nightly for months. Many are “dummy” drones with no warheads and are designed to keep mobile air defense teams under surveillance 24 hours a day.
Kiev is trying to reserve more sophisticated air defense systems to combat cruise and ballistic missiles.
An air raid warning in Kiev had ended shortly before 6 a.m. when explosions were heard throughout the city. After a few seconds, the air raid sirens began to wail.
Explosions were also recorded in other regions of Ukraine.
At least 10 people were injured, one seriously, after the attack on infrastructure in the southern city of Zaporizhzhya. The city has come under heavy attacks recently, including a strike this month that killed 13 civilians and wounded at least 110, Ukrainian officials said.
The United Nations estimates that civilian casualties will increase by 30 percent in 2024 compared to 2023 as Russia seeks to surrender Ukraine.
Saturday's attack came a day after Russian missiles hit the central Ukrainian city of Krivyi Roh, killing four people. people and damages buildings.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after the attack on his hometown of Krivoy Rog: “Each such terrorist attack is a reminder of who we are facing. “Russia will not stand alone. It can only be stopped by joint pressure. The pressure of everyone who values life in the world.”
Ukraine is building its own arsenal of missiles and long-range drones to retaliate. In recent weeks, he has stepped up his campaign to target oil and gas facilities deep in Russia.
The campaign continued on Saturday, with fires reported in the Tula region south of Moscow and at an oil depot in the Kaluga region, about 100 miles southwest of Moscow.
Liubov Sholudko Prepared a report from Kiev.