KYIV: Russian bombardments killed at least 16 people in Ukraine’s capital and surrounding areas overnight, authorities said Thursday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urging a global response to Moscow’s “escalation” of the four-year war.
In the early morning hours, rescuers in Kyiv were sifting through the rubble of destroyed buildings, including a damaged children’s hospital, while grieving families watched as two bodies were pulled out of an apartment block.
“There used to be a building here, and now it’s gone,” said 45-year-old resident Maria Abramova.
She had only just reached her children’s room after the air raid alert sounded when explosions rang out, blowing her windows out and “nearly killing” her husband.
The ballistic missiles that Moscow increasingly fires at Kyiv fly up to thousands of kilometers per hour and reach the capital within minutes of an air raid warning.
The first explosions rang out over Kyiv less than three minutes after the official warning late Wednesday night — leaving locals basically no time to reach a shelter.
Kyiv has struggled to intercept the salvos of ballistic missiles, which can only be effectively shot down by US-designed Patriot air defense systems.
The country has repeatedly appealed to its allies for additional support as Russia steps up its strikes — firing a record number of missiles in July, according to AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data.
“Unfortunately, while Moscow is investing in ballistic missiles and escalation, the world does not always respond appropriately to such attacks,” Zelensky said.
‘Massive attack’
Fifteen people were killed in the capital, mayor Vitaly Klitschko said, and another person was killed in the Kyiv region.
The attack also damaged warehouses in Boryspil, outside Kyiv, authorities said.
The attack lasted nine hours in the capital, which had been bracing for a strike for a few days.
“It was a massive attack — the Russians prepared for a long time and combined various types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones,” Zelensky said.
Russia launched at least 44 missiles, of which 39 were shot down, according to the air force.
Moscow said it hit “military-industrial facilities, a transportation and logistics center, and warehouses” in Kyiv and its region.
Poland, Romania, Moldova
The attacks also prompted security responses in neighboring countries, including NATO members Poland and Romania.
Poland’s military command said it had mobilized aircraft and activated air defenses aimed at protecting its airspace, particularly in areas bordering Ukraine.
