Russia launches ‘extraordinary’ night airstrike on Kiev with drones, missiles

Kiev, May 16 (AP) Ukraine’s air defense forces repelled a massive Russian airstrike on Kiev early Tuesday, shooting down all 18 missiles aimed at the capital. Loud explosions rang out in Kiev as Russian missiles were jointly launched from the air, sea and land in an overnight attack, in an apparent attempt to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences. There was no information about any casualty. Russia’s latest attack on Kiev was “extraordinary in its density” with the maximum number of missiles fired in a short amount of time, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kiev military administration, said. British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons tweeted that the barrage was “very intense.” “Bangs and shaking walls ain’t an easy night,” she wrote.

It was the eighth time this month Russian airstrikes have targeted the capital, an apparent escalation after weeks of lull and before the much-anticipated Ukrainian retaliatory strike. It also came as President Volodymyr Zelensky concluded a whirlwind European tour to greet key wartime allies of Ukraine, prompting an additional tranche of pledged military aid.

Ukraine’s air force said 18 missiles of various types were launched, including drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. All were intercepted, said Air Force spokesman Yuri Ihnat.

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Six ‘Kinjal’ aero-ballistic missiles launched from MiG-31K aircraft, nine cruise missiles from ships in the Black Sea and three land-based S-400 cruise missiles hit the capital, Ihnat said in a statement on Telegram. . Ihnat said that after the first attack, Russia also launched Iranian-made Shaheed attack drones and conducted aerial surveys.

Debris fell in several districts of the capital. In the Solomonsky district, a fire broke out in a non-residential building. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said debris set cars on fire and fell on the grounds of a zoo, but caused no damage.

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The barrage came as European leaders were due to attend a rare summit of the 46-nation Council of Europe, the continent’s main human rights body. The two-day meeting in Iceland seeks to establish a way for logging damage in Ukraine caused by the Kremlin’s forces to be filed against Moscow for compensation.