In the early hours of Monday, a series of explosions were heard across Kyiv and multiple other cities in Ukraine as Russia launched a massive missile and drone assault. This attack comes just two days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a historic state visit to Ukraine.
Prime Minister Modi was welcomed to Kyiv by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. The visit marked the first time an Indian leader has visited Ukraine since the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. During their meeting at the Marinskyi presidential palace, President Zelenskyy described the visit as "very friendly" and "historic," highlighting the significance of this diplomatic engagement.
As the missile and drone attacks began, air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine shortly before 6 a.m. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported power outages in several districts of the capital and issues with the water supply on the city's right bank. Explosions were also reported in other major cities, including Kharkiv, Odesa, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuk, Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, and Kryvyi Rih. In Lutsk, a city in northwest Ukraine, Mayor Ihor Polishchuk reported damage to an apartment block and confirmed that one person had died in the incident.
The Ukrainian Air Force initially detected 11 Russian bomber aircraft and numerous kamikaze drones heading towards Ukrainian cities. Later reports indicated that an additional six Russian bombers were in the air, launching multiple groups of missiles of various types. Further details on the extent of the damage and casualties are still awaited.
In a related development, five people were killed and 13 others were wounded in an overnight Ukrainian strike on Belgorod, a region in Russia. This information was reported by Al Jazeera, citing Russian regional officials. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced the death toll on the Telegram messaging app, noting that three minors were among the wounded in the attack on the settlement of Rakitnoye.
These incidents occur as Kyiv has increased its strikes inside Russian territory, following a surprise ground offensive into Russia's Kursk region two weeks ago. The situation remains tense as both sides engage in escalating military actions.
