According to the city’s mayor, explosions were reported early on Wednesday in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
Blasts reportedly shook the Shevchenkivskyi area in the city’s center, and emergency services were called in, according to Vitali Klitschko.
Oleksiy Kuleba, the governor of Kyiv, claims that air defense systems are in operation.
Shortly after the air raid siren sounded, reporters heard massive Kyiv explosions. Since October, Russia has routinely used missiles and drones to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that 13 Iranian-made Shahid drones, which included all of Russia’s early-morning Wednesday launches, had been shot down by Ukrainian forces.
The military administration of Kyiv city reported that a drone fragment had struck four residential buildings in addition to an administrative building in the city’s center. However, a representative for the city’s emergency services told Ukrainian media that there had been no reports of casualties from the strike.
Governor Kuleba of Kyiv said: “The system for air defense is in action. Right now, it’s crucial to be in shelters and secure locations. Russia is still terrorizing our nation with its energy policies. But every day we get stronger.”
Iran first denied providing Russia with the “kamikaze” drones used in the deadly assaults on October 17, but Ukraine has accused Iran of doing so.
Iran later acknowledged deploying several drones to Moscow “several months” before the conflict.
In response, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, asserted that this was incorrect and that many more Iranian drones were in operation.
To demoralize its people, Russia has recently targeted Ukraine’s energy grid.
World leaders have criticized the assaults on civilian infrastructure as war crimes. Still, last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the operations. He claimed they were in response to the explosion on the Russian bridge leading to the annexation of Crimea on October 8.
The attacks occur as news emerges that the US is getting ready to provide Ukraine access to its cutting-edge Patriot air defense system. The announcement might occur as soon as Thursday. Senior defense officials told the news agency Reuters.
The system is one of the most cutting-edge in the world. However, it is frequently out of stock. It might knock down Russian missiles and drones because of their long-range capabilities before they get close to Ukrainian cities.
However, Patriot systems require great staff to operate them, unlike Ukraine’s current air defense systems, and it may take several months to educate Kyiv’s military to utilize it successfully.
Any move to supply Ukraine with Patriot defenses would undoubtedly be considered an escalation by Russia. Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and currently vice head of the national security council, issued a warning against the action last month.
