Ukraine’s capital Kyiv has become the target of new Russian drone attacks, with authorities also warning of missile attacks from Moscow.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said explosions were heard in the city on Tuesday morning and that drone debris caused a fire in the Desnianskyi district near the center. Aerial warnings also took place in other cities, including Kherson and Mykolaiv.
Recent days have been marked by significant air strikes from both sides. Klitschko said drone debris caused a fire in the Desnianskyi district and emergency services were at the scene.
The mayor of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine said air defense forces shot down a drone in the town, its debris causing a fire.
The Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram that it shot down all 35 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched by Russia on Monday night.
However, after these attacks, many missiles were fired from Russia towards areas such as Kyiv, Cherkasy and Kirovohrad.
He asked people to listen for air raid sirens and go to shelters.
This follows multiple attacks from both sides in recent days, with Russia responding to a Ukrainian attack on the Russian border town of Belgorod on Saturday that left at least 25 people dead and more than 100 injured person.
According to officials installed by Moscow, Ukraine bombed the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk on New Year’s Eve (Sunday), killing four people and wounding 13 others, while Ukraine said the attacks by a Russian drone killed one person and injured nine in Odessa.
On New Year’s Day (Monday), six civilians were killed by Russian attacks in various Ukrainian cities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his forces will increase attacks on military targets in Ukraine in response to the attack in Belgorod.
Putin also said Western rhetoric about the war is starting to change as they begin to realize that it cannot “destroy” Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed these claims in an interview with The Economist, saying that Putin’s suggestion that Russia was winning the war was just a “feeling”.
He highlighted the number of Russian casualties in Ukraine and said opposition forces had not captured a single major city in 2023.
Mr Zelensky also expressed frustration with Kiev’s Western allies, saying they had lost a sense of urgency.