Kyiv under ballistic missile attack, at least two people killed

At least two people have been killed in a ballistic missile attack carried out in the early hours of the morning in Kyiv, as Russia has intensified its air strikes on the Ukrainian capital.

The victims were recorded in the Darnytskyi district, in the southeastern part of the city, Kyiv’s military command said.

The strikes came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Tuesday evening of the possibility of a “massive” Russian attack on the capital. According to an AFP journalist, explosions were heard throughout almost the entire night, while authorities had put residents on alert for attacks, particularly involving ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russia of repeated strikes on national infrastructure. Recent attacks have also damaged energy facilities, causing power outages, according to Ukrainian electricity grid operator DTEK.

Two important bridges in Kyiv have also been targeted in recent days. Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the situation in the city last week as “dramatic” because of the continuous Russian attacks.

Economic activity in the capital has also been affected by frequent air raid alerts, which force employees to stop working and take shelter.

Reports of overnight attacks have also emerged from Zaporizhia. The commander of the military district, Mikhail Semikin, said that “transport infrastructure” had been hit.

Unconfirmed information suggests that one of the targets may have been a bridge linking the two banks of the Dnieper River. It had been inaugurated several weeks before the war began in February 2022. Semikin had also reported an attack on a bridge in Zaporizhia on Tuesday.