Several fires were reported following the strikes. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said emergency personnel were responding to fires at a building and a fuel storage facility
By Njoku Vincent
At least three people, including a child, have died following overnight Russian missile attacks on areas around Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, in the latest escalation of the conflict.
The attacks took place in the early hours of Saturday, with ballistic missiles striking areas east of the capital. Residents reported hearing a series of powerful explosions as emergency services rushed to affected locations.
Timur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration, said debris from the intercepted missiles fell on residential buildings and vehicles, causing significant damage. He also reported that at least three people were wounded.
Several fires were reported following the strikes. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said emergency personnel were responding to fires at a building and a fuel storage facility.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, DSNS, released images showing burning garages, a business premises and a damaged building, while emergency officials continued efforts to assess the extent of the casualties and destruction.
The latest bombardment comes just days after Russian strikes across Ukraine killed 21 people, increasing pressure on Kyiv as it faces persistent attacks on its cities and infrastructure.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian missile attacks is being weakened by declining stocks of air-defence interceptors.
Earlier this week, Zelensky said delays in the delivery of anti-ballistic systems from Ukraine’s international partners had resulted in heavy casualties and widespread destruction.
He argued that stronger air-defence capabilities could have saved lives during recent attacks and later disclosed that supplies of interceptors from allied nations had fallen significantly this year.
The latest Russian strikes also follow a series of Ukrainian attacks against targets inside Russia.
Ukraine recently struck two oil refineries deep inside Russian territory and targeted vessels linked to Moscow in the Black Sea. Zelensky said the operations were designed to reduce Russia’s oil revenues, which he accused Moscow of using to finance its war effort.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have made little progress, with recent mediation talks failing to produce a breakthrough.
The collapse of the latest negotiations has coincided with renewed attacks by both sides, raising fears that the conflict could enter another period of intensified fighting despite continuing calls for a political settlement.