Ukraine: Russia targets Kyiv with massive overnight airstrike | Ukraine

Ukraine was assessing the damage after Russian forces carried out a massive strike of “exceptional intensity” on Kyiv overnight, in one of the biggest attacks on the capital since last year’s invasion.

Emergency sirens woke residents at 2.30am local time and soon afterwards there were loud booms as Ukrainian air defences engaged incoming missiles. Tracer fire lit up the sky and car alarms went off. There were explosions. A further air raid warning sounded at 4am.

Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said Kyiv’s defenders shot down 18 out of 18 Russian rockets and drones. The city had came under an intense and sweeping attack from the “north, south and east”, featuring missiles fired from air, sea and land, he said.

Air defence batteries successfully intercepted six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, the most potent long-range weapon in the Kremlin’s arsenal. They also downed nine cruise missiles, three ballistic missiles, six kamikaze drones and three unmanned aerial vehicles, Ukraine’s military high command said.

After a sleepless night in which many locals sought refuge in bomb shelters, Kyiv’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, gave an update on damage. He said there were three victims in the Solomyan district, which was hit by falling rocket debris. Rescuers extinguished blazes after vehicles caught fire.

Debris also fell on the suburbs of Darnytsia and Obolibskyi, he said, as well as on Kyiv zoo. They mayor said no people or animals were hurt and posted footage on the social media channel Telegram of fallen branches. He said the zoo would reopen as usual on Tuesday morning, and urged Kyivites to visit.

“Anti-stress measures are now being conducted with the animals. So come along to calm down and to support the residents of Kyiv Zoo!” Klitschko wrote.

Monday night’s Russian strikes appear to have been a complex attempt to destroy Ukraine’s new US-made Patriot air defence systems. According to US officials, speaking to CNN, Moscow has been trying to knock out the Patriots, which arrived in the country a few weeks ago.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government has received at least two Patriot systems, from Washington and Berlin. They have significantly enhanced Ukraine’s air defences before an expected counter-offensive, and allow Kyiv to intercept more modern Russian missiles such as the Kinzhal.

Writing on Twitter, the UK’s ambassador in Kyiv, Dame Melinda Simmons, described the “full on” attack as “pretty intense”. She had just returned to Ukraine from the UK, where she accompanied President Zelenskiy, who held talks on Monday with Rishi Sunak in Chequers.

The attacks follow the supply by the government of long-range Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of more than 250km, and a British pledge to deliver long-range attack drones over the coming months. The Kremlin has described the move as “extremely negative”, amid evidence that Kyiv is already using Storm Shadows to hit Russian command and control centres away from the frontline.

Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, praised the “unbelievable success” of his air forces in the early hours of Tuesday. “Russian terrorists have no chance of prevailing over Ukraine. Their weapons can and should be countered by western ones,” he wrote.