A massive attack by Russia with ballistic missiles and drones has killed at least 17 people and injured another 44 in the capital of Ukraine and the Kiev region.
This is the most powerful attack on Kiev this year. Several fires have engulfed the city and its suburbs, authorities announced, as cited by Kiev Independent.
The Ukrainian Air Forces stated that Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles and four hypersonic missiles during the attack, as well as 115 Shahed drones. No missile was intercepted. This also highlights the absence of Patriot interceptors from the Americans.
"The main target of the attack was the warehouses of civilian enterprises. There were also strikes on infrastructure, at a train station. Ballistic interceptors could have saved the lives of those who died today. It is very important for partners to realize that delays in their delivery or the lack of willingness to transfer anti-ballistic materials lead to such terrible casualties and damages," Zelensky wrote in a social media post.
In the Kiev region, 14 people lost their lives, announced the State Emergency Service (DSNS), specifying that rescue operations are ongoing.
According to DSNS, damages were reported in the districts of Brovary, Bucha, and Fastiv, where several warehouses and vehicles were engulfed in flames following the Russian attack.
In the city of Kiev, three people have died, announced Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
In Kiev, 15 injured individuals have been hospitalized, with four in critical condition, he added.
The military authorities of the city of Kiev reported damages in over seven areas of the capital, including the districts of Holosiivskyi, Obolonskyi, Desnianskyi, and Sviatoshynskyi.
Previously, Klitschko announced that two people were rescued from the rubble of a collapsed warehouse in the Holosiivskyi district. He specified that search and rescue operations continue, and there may still be other people trapped under the ruins.
In the Obolonskyi district, a fire broke out in a 20-story residential building hit by a missile. Another residential building caught fire, and fires were reported at two warehouses as well.
In the Desnianskyi district, a warehouse was engulfed in flames, and rocket fragments fell near a residential building, stated Klitschko.
Authorities also reported a large fire in the Kiev-Sviatoshyn district, located outside the capital. Response teams were dispatched to the affected areas.
Journalists from the Kiev Independent publication on the scene reported hearing the first loud explosions shortly after 00:20 local time and multiple rockets hitting the city. The explosions continued to shake the capital for about an hour.
During this period, the Ukrainian Air Forces repeatedly warned of other rockets heading towards Kiev, before issuing, starting at 01:09, alerts regarding drones.
"Kiev and the region are under attack with ballistic missiles. Other missiles are heading towards the city," Klitschko wrote in a previous update. Later, he warned that new missiles are still heading towards the capital and urged residents to remain in shelters.
This attack comes just days after another large-scale missile bombardment on Kiev, carried out on August 1, resulting in at least nine deaths and over 30 injuries.