Violent explosions: Russia attacks Kyiv with new types of missiles

“Tonight the Kiev region once again suffered a major attack by the enemy with combat drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles,” said the head of the regional administration, Mykola Kalashnyk. The head of the Kiev military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said there was one fatality and at least 20 injured. Kyiv is “the target of a massive ballistic missile attack.” This caused “fires and damage to residential buildings”. Tkachenko later announced the end of the air alarm.

AFP journalists continued to hear explosions until early in the morning. Dozens of people sought shelter in a metro station in the city center. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said damage from the attacks had been reported in every district of the city. A school in the Shevchenkivsky district was hit, causing a fire to break out there. Because of a fire in a business center, people were stuck in a shelter.

Warnung Selenskijs

The Ukrainian head of state Wolodimir Selenskij had declared on Saturday evening that the Ukrainian secret services had data from partners in Europe and the USA, among others, according to which Russia was preparing an attack with its new Oreshnik missile. The US Embassy in Kiev also warned that, according to information it had, a “potentially significant air strike could occur at any time within the next 24 hours.”

The Russian Oreshnik missile is a nuclear-capable medium-range missile that, according to the Kremlin, can reach speeds of more than 12,000 kilometers per hour and reach targets 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers away. According to Russia’s President Wladimir Putin It is “impossible” even for modern air defense systems to intercept the missile.

The new rocket – equipped with conventional warheads – has been used twice against targets in Ukraine. Last August, Putin announced the serial production of Oreshnik missiles. In mid-December, the missile was deployed in Russia’s ally Belarus.

Putin threatens retaliation

After a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Luhansk on Friday night, Putin threatened Kiev with retaliation. According to Russian information, the attack hit a technical college and student dormitory in the city of Starobilsk.

At least 18 people, mostly young women, were killed and 42 others were injured. The Russian Foreign Ministry threatened those responsible with “inevitable and severe punishment.” Kiev denies a targeted attack on civilians and said the target of the attack was a Russian army drone unit in the Starobilsk region.

On Saturday, Russian authorities said a fire broke out in the port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea after a Ukrainian drone attack. Falling debris hit an oil depot and also the area of ​​the fuel terminal. Two people were reportedly injured.

The port of Novorossiysk in the southern Russian border region of Krasnodar is Russia’s largest export hub on the Black Sea: around a fifth of Russian crude oil deliveries transported by ship are processed there. The Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Saturday morning that a total of 348 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted and destroyed during the night.

Canada’s Prime Minister: Russia is losing the war

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned Russian attacks against civilian targets at X. “We call on Russia to immediately stop these attacks and end this illegal war of aggression. They prolong people’s suffering and do not change the fact that Russia is losing this war,” Carney said. Canada continues to work with international partners for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and Europe.

Repeated attacks on each other

Russia has been carrying out airstrikes on Ukraine for more than four years. Ukraine is responding with counterattacks on Russian territory, particularly on oil and energy infrastructure targets. Negotiations to end the fighting are currently on hold.