Russia launched an overnight air strike of “exceptional intensity” on Kyiv, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration. The administration defined exceptional intensity as the “maximum number of missile attacks in the shortest time span.”
The Russian forces used drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles in the attack from multiple directions, according to the administration’s Telegram post. Tonight's very loud fireworks over Kyiv cost Russia over $150 million. All 17 costly missiles were destroyed, including 6 "hypersonic" Kinzhal Dagger missiles that Russia positioned as an uninterceptable wonder weapon.
Apart from the Kinzhal missiles, nine Kalibr cruise missiles, and three Iskander land-based cruise missiles, Zaluzhnyi were launched. It isn't yet clear if any of them managed to hit their target.
No casualties were reported. The British ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons, tweeted that the barrage was pretty intense. It was the eighth time this month that Russian air raids had targeted the capital, a clear escalation after weeks of lull and ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive. It also came as President Volodymyr Zelenksyy concluded a whirlwind European tour to greet Ukraine's key wartime allies, which spurred an additional tranche of pledged military aid.
Ukraine’s minister of defence Oleksii Reznikov celebrated in a tweet the “unbelievable success” in shooting down the hi-tech Russian Kinzhal and other missiles.
– With PTI inputs
