The Kiev Blitz: Residents forced underground by Russian bombing | World | News

A series of massive explosions shook Kiev early on Thursday morning, sparking fires in the Ukrainian capital as Russia launched a devastating attack on the city using ballistic missiles and drones. The images of citizens in the shelter looked tragically similar to historical photographs of Londoners sheltered in Underground tunnels and platforms during World War II.

Kiev residents fled to metro stations armed with sleeping bags and pets as air raid sirens blared across the city to protect themselves from violent explosions. Warnings had already been made that a large-scale attack was on the horizon.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged residents to heed air raid warnings and be “especially careful,” according to The New York Times. Speaking on Wednesday evening, he revealed that intelligence suggested Russia was preparing another “massive strike.”

According to reports, air raid sirens had gone off several hours in advance as residents braced themselves for a long and turbulent night.

Attack drones formed the opening wave of the attack. The relentless drones of air defenses responding to the incoming threat were heard shortly after their arrival, followed by a massive explosion around 11pm local time, followed by further explosions in quick succession, the NYT reported.

Shortly thereafter, a serious fire was seen in the heart of the city, and a second, smaller fire was seen just beyond it.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko called on citizens to stay in shelters as the night progressed, as ballistic missiles entered Ukrainian airspace after the drone attack.

A succession of powerful explosions ripped through Kiev just before 2 a.m. on Thursday, triggering car alarms across the city. Emergency crews rushed to the scene after a nine-storey apartment block collapsed, trapping residents, according to Klitschko.

He also announced that firefighters were battling flames in at least two areas of the city, including a fire on the roof of a hotel, while another engulfed a separate residential building.

The full extent of casualties remains unclear, but Klitschko confirmed that five healthcare workers were injured.

Many Kiev residents were preparing for a large-scale attack similar to the one that occurred between Wednesday night and Thursday.

Ukraine has been increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin by launching long-range drone strikes on Moscow, disrupting Russian fuel supplies and launching sweeping attacks on Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Kiev has stated that its aim is to bring the war to Russian territory and persuade Putin to end the conflict. But Putin remained defiant and determined even as his ability to protect Russian society from the consequences of war began to weaken; Its citizens are bearing the brunt of an all-out conflict that Russia has come nowhere near winning than when it launched its invasion in February 2022.

“Putin wants to keep fighting,” Zelensky said in Ireland on Wednesday before returning home. “So he has to face circumstances that make it impossible for him to continue this fight.”

Ukraine wants to become a member of the European Union, and while the process could take several years, Zelensky on Wednesday landed in Ireland, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency.

“Ukraine proves every day that it deserves to be an equal partner of our common European home. And we hope that during Ireland’s presidency of the EU Council we will be able to make concrete progress towards membership and open all clusters of negotiations,” Zelensky said. he said.

Ukraine has emerged as a supplier of military technology, especially in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, that is the envy of many countries around the world. Many European countries have concerns that Moscow’s territorial ambitions could extend beyond Ukraine, leading leaders to describe Kiev as a major obstacle to Russian expansion.

During his meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in Kiev, Swedish Defense Minister Paul Jonsson said that Ukraine “has become the security provider for all of Europe.”

As a result, the country has become increasingly involved in the European defense community, including NATO, although progress remains rather slow.