Russia launches overnight attacks on Ukraine, Poland on alert
Russia launched a fresh overnight missile and drone attack on Kiev, triggering explosions across the Ukrainian capital and forcing residents to seek shelter in metro stations and bomb shelters, Ukrainian officials said early on Tuesday.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that air defences were active. Klitschko and military administrator Tymur Tkachenko reported several fires across the city, including some caused by falling debris from intercepted missiles. Temporary power outages were also reported.
In the Podilskyi district, Klitschko said a multi-storey residential building collapsed, raising fears that people were trapped under the rubble. Elsewhere in the city, the upper floors of a 15-storey apartment building were damaged.
Russian attacks involving missiles and drones were also reported in the cities of Kharkiv, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhya. Ukraine’s air force said Russia had used ballistic missiles in the assault.
In neighbouring Poland, the military said on X that it had placed air defence systems on alert and scrambled aircraft in response to the attacks. Poland regularly raises its readiness level during major Russian strikes on Ukraine, sometimes alongside NATO allies.
The attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of another possible major Russian air assault.
“Intelligence indicating the possibility of a massive strike remains valid,” Zelensky said in a video address on Saturday, urging Ukrainians not to ignore air raid warnings.
While saying Ukraine’s air defences remained on alert, Zelensky acknowledged that delays in military supplies from Western allies were creating difficulties in defending against ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
Ukraine has been fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion for more than four years with Western support. Both sides have increasingly relied on drones and missiles to strike targets far behind the front lines.
