Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Explosions rocked kyiv on the night of October 7 as Moscow launched its latest massive missile and drone attack on the capital, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 74th birthday.
No information was immediately available on the victims of the attack. Authorities continued to warn of approaching missiles and drones throughout the night.
Multiple explosions were first heard in kyiv around 3:15 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the scene. The Ukrainian Air Force previously warned that several Russian Tu-95 bombers were approaching the border.
“The missiles are falling one after the other. At least 10 to 12 explosions from what I can count. It’s quite noisy in the city center,” described Tim Zadorozhnyy of the kyiv Independent.
Other Kyiv Independent journalists described strikes around kyiv’s Podil neighborhood, with flames and smoke visible in the capital.
Explosions were heard again two hours later, at 5:15 a.m., amid a second wave of missile attacks.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a strike was reported in an unspecified “non-residential area” in the Obolon district, while warehouses were affected in the Polid district.
Missile debris was also burning in Shevchenkivskyi and Darnytskyi districts.
The extent of the damage caused was not immediately clear.
Earlier, drones headed toward the Ukrainian capital at 9 p.m. local time, the Ukrainian Air Force reported, and an air raid alert was announced in the city shortly after, lasting from 9:09 p.m. to 9:58 p.m.
President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in the day urged citizens to take air raid warnings seriously and warned that Russia was preparing a large-scale attack on Ukraine, citing recent intelligence.
“Please, please take care of yourself. Please respond to missile danger signals,” he said.
The latest large-scale attack comes as Putin turns 74 on October 7. The average life expectancy for men in Russia is 68 years in 2024, according to the World Bank Group.
Russia attacked kyiv the night before, damaging cars, and has targeted the city’s main bridges in recent days.
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