In the early hours of Thursday morning, Kyiv was shaken by multiple powerful explosions, setting off fires that raged across the Ukrainian capital as Russia initiated a severe attack using ballistic missiles and drones.
Residents of Kyiv hurried into underground stations with their sleeping bags and pets as air-raid sirens blared across the city, signaling the need to seek refuge from the intense explosions. Prior warnings had hinted at an imminent large-scale offensive.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky advised citizens to take the air-raid alerts seriously and exercise caution, as reported by The New York Times. He informed the public on Wednesday evening that intelligence indicated Russia was gearing up for another significant strike.
The air-raid sirens had started sounding several hours beforehand, with residents bracing themselves for a long and fearful night.
The initial wave of the assault consisted of attack drones, followed shortly by the sound of air defenses engaging and a massive explosion around 11 pm. Subsequent blasts occurred in rapid succession.
Shortly after, a significant fire was observed burning in the city center, accompanied by a smaller fire nearby. Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to remain in shelters as the night progressed, with ballistic missiles penetrating Ukrainian airspace shortly after the drone strikes.
Just before 2 a.m. on Thursday, a series of powerful explosions rattled Kyiv, setting off car alarms citywide. Emergency services rushed to manage the collapse of a nine-story apartment building where individuals were trapped, according to Klitschko.
Firefighters also worked to extinguish fires in at least two areas of the capital, one of which erupted on a hotel rooftop, while the other affected a residential property. The exact number of casualties remains uncertain, although Klitschko confirmed injuries to five medical staff.
Many Kyiv residents had anticipated a major attack similar to the one that unfolded from Wednesday night into Thursday.
Ukraine had been pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin with long-range drone strikes on Moscow, disrupting Russian fuel supplies, and launching significant assaults against Crimea, which Russia annexed unlawfully in 2014.
Kyiv aimed to bring the conflict to Russia and compel Putin to agree to end the war. However, Putin remained defiant, facing challenges in shielding Russian society from the war’s repercussions as the full-scale conflict that began in February 2022 took its toll.
“Putin wants to continue the fight,” stated Zelensky in Ireland on Wednesday before promptly returning home. “That is why conditions must be created that make it impossible for him to sustain this war.”
While Ukraine seeks European Union membership, a process that could span several years, Zelensky visited Ireland on Wednesday, the current holder of the EU’s rotating presidency.
“Ukraine demonstrates daily that it merits being an equal partner within our shared European home. We hope that during Ireland’s EU Council presidency, we will make tangible progress towards membership and open negotiations across all clusters,” Zelensky expressed.
Ukraine has emerged as a sought-after supplier of military technology globally, particularly in the drone sector. European nations are concerned about Moscow’s territorial ambitions extending beyond Ukraine, portraying Kyiv as a defense against Russian expansion.
Swedish Minister of Defence Paul Jonsson remarked in Kyiv that Ukraine is “evolving into a security provider for all of Europe,” following discussions with Ukrainian Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov.
Consequently, Ukraine has become increasingly integrated into the European defense community, including NATO, although progress has been gradual.