MARKET STRIKE
Overnight, AFP journalists saw Ukraine using tracer bullets and missile defence systems, and incandescent debris falling large areas above the capital.
The explosions lit up the night sky in flashes of bright orange.
Ukraine’s air force said it downed 405 out of 430 drones, and 14 out of 19 missiles launched by Russia.
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP the city’s air defences worked particularly well to stop the attack from wreaking even more damage.
There were previously “certain issues with air defence” but this time “the air defence systems worked well” they told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official also said the attack showed how “the Russians have started using significantly more ballistic missiles”.
Ballistic missiles are particularly difficult to intercept given their speed and trajectory.
“They combine ballistic and aeroballistic missiles with waves of drones. It is not easy to shoot down,” they added.
Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement its forces had carried out a “massive strike” of drones and hypersonic missiles against Ukrainian military and energy sites.
Hours after the attack on Kyiv, a Russian drone struck a market in the southern city of Chornomorsk, killing two and wounding seven, Odesa region governor Oleg Kiper said.
He published images showing a blown-out vehicle still on fire, with debris, tyres and mangled streets signs strewn in every direction.
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