In the early hours of Sunday, Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv, was subjected to a significant missile and drone attack. This assault came shortly after Ukraine’s air force issued a warning about a potential launch of Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile. The warning was communicated via their official Telegram channel, alerting residents to the imminent threat.

Impact on Kyiv

Explosions were reported across the city shortly after 1 a.m. local time, causing injuries to at least three individuals and damaging several residential buildings. Kyiv’s Mayor, Vitali Klitschko, provided updates on the situation through Telegram, noting that debris had ignited on the grounds of a school located in the city center.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had previously cautioned that Russia was preparing to use the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine, based on intelligence from Ukraine, the United States, and European allies. The Oreshnik missile, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed is impossible to intercept due to its speed exceeding ten times the speed of sound, has been used in previous attacks on Ukraine.

Background and Response

The warning from President Zelenskiy followed an order from President Putin for his military to prepare retaliatory measures against Ukraine. This directive was in response to a Ukrainian drone strike targeting a student dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s military stated that the strike was aimed at a Russian drone command unit.

As of now, Ukraine’s air force has not confirmed whether the Oreshnik missile was indeed used in the latest attack on Kyiv. The situation remains tense as both nations continue to engage in military actions, impacting the lives of civilians in the affected areas.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.