Kyiv comes under major Russian missile and drone fire
Poland also deployed warplanes to protect its airspace, describing it as a “preventive” measure. There are no reports of attacks on Polish territory.
“These actions are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing and protecting airspace, especially in areas adjacent to threatened areas.” The Polish army wrote in X., external
Poland is a member of NATO and is a signatory to the military alliance’s Article 5 provision, which states that “an armed attack on one NATO member shall be deemed an attack on all of them.”
In Kiev, tracer fire from air defense systems was seen lighting up the night sky and explosions from drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles were heard.
Multiple fires broke out across the city and damage to an ambulance station in the city was reported, resulting in at least one person being seriously injured.
This is Russia’s first large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine in more than two weeks.
On Wednesday, Zelensky cut short his visit to Dublin after saying new intelligence had emerged that Moscow was planning to strike Ukraine.
“I call on our people to be especially careful and protect themselves, their children and, of course, their families,” he said.
He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has been preparing this major attack against Ukraine for some time.”
Russian troops have recently advanced towards the city of Kostyantynivka, one of Ukraine’s last significant strongholds in the east. If Moscow secures the city, it will be a gateway to the entire Donbas region.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian commanders say they have recaptured more than they have lost this year, disrupting Moscow’s key supply lines between the Russian border and occupied Crimea.
Otherwise, the war stalled for months as troops from both sides largely settled into their positions.
Russia controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory, seized mostly in the first few months of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
