Russia strikes Kyiv with missiles and drones, wounding five

Russian missile and drone attacks pounded Kyiv on Thursday, igniting fires and injuring at least five people. The assault came after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a "massive attack" and cut short a foreign visit due to intelligence reports.

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Kyiv is under attack from ballistic missiles and UAVs.

Explosions echoed across the capital as residents, some with children and pets, sought refuge in metro stations. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed ballistic missiles and drones targeted the city. Five healthcare workers were wounded in the Shevchenkivskyi district, with one in critical condition. A residential building and a medical facility sustained damage, according to military administration head Tymur Tkachenko.

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The enemy continues to launch missiles at the capital.

Earlier, Zelenskyy stated he was rushing home from Dublin due to intelligence indicating an imminent large-scale strike. He urged citizens to be cautious, use shelters, and heed air raid alerts. He asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been preparing this strike for some time.

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I urge our people to be especially careful, to protect themselves, their children, and, of course, their families; to use shelters and heed air raid alerts in Ukraine - this is very important.

Ukraine has recently increased its long-range drone attacks on Russia, targeting energy and military sites. Russia has reported numerous strikes in border regions and claimed its air defenses intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones. A recent study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated over two million military casualties in the Ukraine conflict, with Russian forces bearing the majority of losses.

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President Vladimir Putin "has been preparing this massive strike against Ukraine for some time now".