Ballistic missile strike hits Kyiv as Ukraine warns residents to take shelter

A ballistic missile attack targeted Kyiv early Sunday, prompting Ukraine’s military to activate air defence systems and urge residents to take shelter.

“Air defence forces are operating in the capital. Remain in shelters!” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a Telegram post.

AFP journalists reported hearing explosions and seeing flashes in the sky over the city as the attack unfolded.

The assault came a day after Russian strikes on Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region and the northern Sumy region killed two people, according to local authorities.

Meanwhile, Ukraine carried out strikes on Russia’s Volgograd and Belgorod regions, as well as the Moscow-controlled city of Horlivka in the Donetsk region. Regional officials said three people were killed in those attacks.

Russia has continued near-daily missile and drone attacks on Ukraine since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.

Ukraine has also increased its attacks on Russian territory and areas occupied by Moscow forces in recent months, describing the strikes as retaliation against Russian aggression.