Russia launched a heavy ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early Sunday, wounding at least five people, authorities said. The assault came after Moscow threatened retaliation for a Ukrainian drone strike in the Russian-occupied east that killed 18 people.
Explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital, shaking a residential building near the government district. Dozens of residents sought shelter in an underground metro station.
"The capital has come under a mass ballistic missile attack," said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported five wounded, with one hospitalized. Fires and damage were reported in at least four districts.
Ukrainian authorities and the U.S. Embassy had warned of a possible major attack after Russia promised to "punish" those responsible for the deadly drone strike on Starobilsk, in occupied Luhansk. Moscow claimed the drone strike hit a college dormitory. Ukraine denied targeting civilians, saying it struck a Russian drone unit.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of preparations for a combined strike involving multiple weapon types, including the nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile.