Russia fired rockets at Kiev again during the night, and the air defenses were apparently able to intercept all missiles. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy emphasized that a Russian defeat is approaching.
Russia has continued its wave of attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. The Russian army fired a total of 15 cruise missiles and 18 combat drones at Kiev during the night, the Ukrainian military said in the morning. All missiles were intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses.
The head of the Kiev military administration, Serhiy Popko, also spoke of a total of around 30 enemy objects that had been destroyed. So far, nothing is known about possible victims, such as falling debris. On the night of Thursday, several people were killed by debris in an attack on Kiev – apparently also because protective bunkers were closed.
Selenskyj complains about problems with bomb shelters
In his nightly video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that apart from military aid from abroad, Ukraine itself must do more to ensure the security of its citizens.
“The situation like last night in Kiev, when people came to the shelter and it was locked, must never happen again,” he said. It is the duty of the municipalities to ensure that the shelters are open around the clock. “It hurts to see neglect in these commitments. It hurts to see the dead,” Zelenskyj said.
Zelenskyy also stressed that Russia’s defeat was getting closer. The summit meeting of the new European Political Community (EPG) on Thursday in Moldova was used to the maximum to mobilize aid for Ukraine and bring the defeat of the “terrorists” closer, Zelenskyy said. The time is near when Russia will be held accountable for its murders.
Drones shot down near Kursk
Meanwhile, near the Russian city of Kursk near the border with Ukraine, several Ukrainian drones were again shot down, according to the regional government. An air defense system shot down the missiles near the city, regional governor Roman Starowoit said on Twitter that night. He called on residents to keep calm: “The city is under the reliable protection of our army,” wrote the governor.
The Russian border region of Kursk has been repeatedly shelled by the Ukrainian army since the beginning of the war. On Thursday, the Russian army said it had repulsed an attempted “invasion” by Ukrainian units in the Belgorod region south of Kursk. According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, motorized infantry companies escorted by tanks had tried to “penetrate” the Belgorod region from Ukraine. The attack was stopped using fighter jets and artillery.