Russian strikes kill 13 in Kyiv, surrounding region
Russia launched at least 44 missiles, of which 39 were shot down.
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Russia launched at least 44 missiles, of which 39 were shot down.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Russian bombardments killed at least 13 people in Ukraine’s capital and its surrounding region overnight, authorities said on Thursday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urging a global response to Moscow’s “escalation” of the four-year war.
In the early morning hours, rescuers in Kyiv were sifting through the rubble of destroyed buildings, including a damaged children’s hospital, while grieving families watched as two bodies were pulled out of an apartment block.
“There used to be a building here, and now it’s gone,” said 45-year-old resident Maria Abramova.
She had only just reached her children’s room after the air raid alert sounded when explosions rang out, blowing her windows out and “nearly killing” her husband.
The ballistic missiles that Moscow increasingly fires at Kyiv fly up to thousands of kilometers per hour and reach Kyiv within minutes of an air raid warning.
The first explosions rang out over Kyiv less than three minutes after the official warning late Wednesday night — leaving locals basically no time to reach a shelter.
Kyiv has struggled to intercept the salvos of ballistic missiles, which can only be effectively shot down by United States-designed Patriot air defense systems.
The country has repeatedly appealed to its allies for additional support as Russia steps up its strikes — firing a record number of missiles in July, according to Agence France-Presse analysis of Ukrainian air force data.
“Unfortunately, while Moscow is investing in ballistic missiles and escalation, the world does not always respond appropriately to such attacks,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky said the death toll stood at 12 people killed in the capital itself, and one in the surrounding region.
‘Massive attack’
The attack also damaged warehouses in Boryspil, outside Kyiv, including a facility operated by the Ukrainian Red Cross, Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky said.
The attack lasted nine hours in the capital, which had been bracing for a strike for a few days.
“It was a massive attack — the Russians prepared for a long time and combined various types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones,” Zelensky said.
Russia launched at least 44 missiles, of which 39 were shot down, according to the air force.
Moscow said it hit “military-industrial facilities, a transportation and logistics center, and warehouses” in Kyiv and its region.
The attacks also prompted security responses in neighboring North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states.
Poland’s military command said it had mobilized aircraft and activated air defenses aimed at protecting its airspace.
