Russia Fired Oreshnik Missile at Ukraine as Part of Barrage
Authorities in the capital said missile debris fell in at least three city districts, and that residential buildings, vehicles and a warehouse were damaged in the attack.
Russia's defense ministry confirmed the use of the medium-range, hypersonic Oreshnik in a statement on Telegram.
(Photo: Bloomberg News)
Kyiv came under a massive Russian drone and missile barrage early on Sunday that included an Oreshnik ballistic missile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, hours after he and the US embassy warned of an imminent strike.
Russia's defense ministry confirmed the use of the medium-range, hypersonic Oreshnik in a statement on Telegram. The projectile was previously used in November and January.
In all, Kremlin forces fired 90 missiles and 600 drones at Kyiv and several other major cities, Ukraine's Air Force said in a statement. The Oreshnik missile targeting the city of Bila Tserkva, a regional center south of Kyiv, Zelenskyy said. The Air Force said it shot down 55 of the missiles and 549 drones, while another 19 missiles likely didn't reach their targets.
At least two people were killed in Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. Another two people died in the wider capital region, the local governor, Mykola Kalashnyk, said on Telegram. Zelenskyy said at least 83 people were injured, and Kyiv was the main target of the attack.
"It is important that this doesn't remain without consequences for Russia," Zelenskyy said in a statement on Telegram. "We need solutions from the United States of America, and from Europe, and from others."
Authorities in the capital said missile debris fell in at least three city districts, and that residential buildings, vehicles and a warehouse were damaged in the attack.
Air raid sirens also sounded in several other regions of Ukraine, local authorities reported.
Ukraine's Air Defense issued a ballistic missile and drone strike alert, asking civilians to seek shelter, while NATO scrambled jets in Poland.
Zelenskyy said on social media late Saturday that Ukraine had received intelligence, including from the US and European partners, that Russia was preparing a major strike on Ukraine, which could involve an Oreshnik missile. The first strikes came hours later.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered defense officials to prepare what he said were options for retaliation after he accused Ukraine of attacking a college in the occupied Luhansk region. The death toll from that incident is at least 18.
Ukraine rejected Putin's allegation that civilian facilities were hit, saying on Telegram that its forces struck the headquarters of a Russian drone unit operating in Starobilsk.
"This strike was probably meant to demonstrate 'strength' to the domestic audience, but instead it only confirms Putin's weakness," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Sunday in a statement on X. The Foreign Ministry building in Kyiv sustained light damage as the result of nearby explosions, the first time it was harmed since World War II, he said.
He called on Kyiv's allies to increase pressure on Russian and to provide additional air defense capabilities.
Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces intercepted 33 Ukrainian drones over several areas, including the Moscow region. One person died in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, the Interfax news agency reported, citing local officials.
Ukraine's General Staff also said it struck an oil terminal at the Black Sea port of Taman, damaging oil-loading equipment. Regional authorities didn't mention any activity near Taman.
It's the latest Ukrainian strike on Russian energy infrastructure, part of a broader effort to stop the Kremlin from benefiting from the global oil rally driven by the Iran war.
Ukraine had said it struck a terminal at Taman earlier this month. On Saturday, its forces attacked the Sheskharis oil terminal, the largest on Russia's Black Sea coast.
Authorities in the capital said missile debris fell in at least three city districts, and that residential buildings, vehicles and a warehouse were damaged in the attack.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
