War in Ukraine
Russia fires missiles at Ukraine, Poland reports airspace violation
During Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, a missile is said to have entered Poland’s airspace. The Polish Air Force was then activated. (archive image)
© Stringer / Picture Alliance
On Sunday night, Russia fired numerous missiles and drones at Ukraine. According to the Polish armed forces, a rocket is said to have penetrated the airspace there. Poland then activated its air force.
Russia carried out massive airstrikes on the Ukrainian capital Kiev and the Lviv region in the west of the country on Sunday night. “Explosions in the capital. The air defense is working. Do not leave the shelters,” wrote Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko on the online Telegram service. The governor of the Lviv region, Maksym Kosytskyi, reported rocket attacks on the district around the city of Stryi, south of Lviv. Previously it was in the entire Ukraine air alert declared.
Kiev’s military administration chief Serhiy Popko said on Telegram that the rockets were fired at the capital “in groups” at dawn. Preliminary reports indicate there were no injuries or damage, Popko wrote. The city’s air defenses hit “about a dozen” rockets. “The enemy is continuing its massive rocket terror against Ukraine,” Popko continued. “He is not giving up his goal of destroying Kiev at any cost.”
Russian missile apparently entered Poland’s airspace for 39 seconds
In the wake of the missile attack on Ukraine, Poland has accused Russia of violating its airspace. A cruise missile fired by Russia at western Ukraine entered Polish airspace at 4:23 a.m. Sunday and remained there for 39 seconds, the Polish armed forces said. The projectile was tracked on radar screens throughout the flight. In addition, Poland and allies have “activated” aircraft in the area of the border with Ukraine to ensure airspace security, the operational command of the Polish armed forces said.
According to Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy, about 20 missiles and seven Iranian-made Shahed drones were fired into the region, targeting critical infrastructure.
In the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih in the south, falling debris damaged heating and electricity networks, said the administrative head of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Serhiy Lysak. “Several thermal power plants in the city were shut down due to the voltage drop.” That’s why six hospitals, more than 150 schools and 3,000 residential buildings with 76,000 residents are temporarily without heating.
According to authorities, an unspecified critical infrastructure facility was hit in the western Ukrainian region of Lviv. “A fire broke out there. Firefighters are on duty,” regional governor Maksym Kosytskyj wrote on Telegram. There is currently no information about possible victims.
Ukraine reports numerous shootings – but also impacts
Ukraine reported attacks by a total of 57 missiles and drones. 43 of the projectiles could have been intercepted, around a dozen of them over Kiev and in the immediate vicinity of the capital. Nevertheless, Kiev was rocked by several explosions in the morning, the city’s military administration said. There was minor damage.
An air alert had previously been declared throughout Ukraine warning of Russian Tu-95MS fighter jets launching missiles. The alarm was lifted about two hours later. At the end of December, Russia used Tu-95MS fighter jets to launch a wave of attacks on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities. At that time, 39 people were killed.
Russia and Ukraine have increased their mutual air strikes in recent weeks. Ukraine, which has been confronted with the Russian war of aggression and ongoing bombing raids on Ukrainian cities for two years, had announced that it would strike back and shift hostilities to Russian soil.
Russia responded by escalating its own attacks. On Friday, Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with massive missile and drone attacks.