Russian forces launched a missile attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and nearby regions on Saturday for the first time in weeks, according to Ukrainian officials. Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, reported that a Russian ballistic missile was launched toward the capital at about 08:00 a.m. local time. Fortunately, air defenders shot down the missile before it reached Kyiv, and there were no casualties or major damage in the capital.
However, regional governor Ruslan Kravchenko stated that five private houses and several commercial buildings in the Kyiv region were damaged by two Russian missiles that struck a field between settlements. Additionally, Ukraine’s air defenders downed 19 out of the 31 drones launched by Russian forces in the overnight attack on southern and eastern regions.
Oleh Kiper, Odesa’s regional governor, reported that the southern region was attacked with missile and drone strikes the previous evening, causing injuries and damage to port infrastructure facilities. Since Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July, there has been an uptick in the country’s bombardment of Ukraine’s ports, particularly Odesa.