Russian missile strikes kill at least one in Kyiv and several in other Ukrainian cities
Russian ballistic missile attacks hit Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih and Lviv, killing at least one person in the capital and six in Kryvyi Rih, while Ukrainian officials warned of a possible larger assault.
At least one person was killed in a Russian missile strike on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, the city’s military administration said on Thursday. Explosions were reported in the early hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a possible "massive attack" based on an Air Force report.
"I received a report from Air Force Commander Anatolii Kryvonozhko. The Russians prepared a massive attack several days ago," Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Kyiv mayor Vitaly Klitschko said the city was hit with ballistic missiles and urged residents to stay in shelters, noting that a few non-residential sites caught fire.
In the central city of Kryvyi Rih, a direct strike by an Iskander-M missile hit a private house on the outskirts, killing two girls aged five and 12 and four adults, according to local military administration head Oleksandr Vilkul. He said eight more people were wounded and the death toll could rise.
Russian missiles also damaged two apartment blocks in Lviv, injuring six people, local officials reported.
Poland’s armed forces announced they had scrambled fighter jets and placed air-defence systems on alert to protect Polish airspace amid the strikes.
Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine’s safety depends on allied anti-missile support, referencing recent discussions with the United States about Patriot missile licenses.