Russia attacked Kyiv, Lviv and other major cities across Ukraine ,targeting the civilian infrastructure and residential buildings
Russia attacked Kyiv, Lviv and other major cities across Ukraine with 81 missiles, including 6 nuclear -capable Kinzhal ballistic missiles and 6 X-22 air-launched cruise missiles, targeting the civilian infrastructure and residential buildings.
The attacks were of really large-scale and for the first time, Russia used such different types of missiles. As of now, Ukraine does not have the capabilities to counter these weapons.
Speaking on the occasion, the President of Ukraine – Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “It’s been a difficult night. The enemy fired 81 missiles in an attempt to intimidate Ukrainians again, returning to their miserable tactics. The occupiers can only terrorize civilians. That’s all they can do. But it won’t help them. They won’t avoid responsibility for everything they have done.”
Dnipro, Odesa, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia were also attacked by Russia. At least 16 people were killed and more than 20 injured during the overnight attacks. In Kyiv, an air raid alert lasted for almost 7 hours overnight and power outages were implemented as a preventative measure.
The Ministry of Defence, Russia said that the barrage of missile strikes it launched was retaliation for what the ministry called “terrorist actions” organized by Kyiv in Russia’s Bryansk region last week. Russian security officials claimed a small Ukrainian armed group crossed the Russian border into the Southern Bryansk region. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said the agency was carrying out operations following “armed Ukrainian nationalists who violated the state border.”
A Statement from the Ministry of Defence, Russia read, “In response to the terrorist actions in the Bryansk region organized by the Kyiv regime on March 2 this year, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered a massive retaliation strike.”
It further read, “High-precision long-range air, sea and land-based weapons, including the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system, hit key elements of Ukraine’s military infrastructure, military-industrial complex enterprises, as well as energy facilities that serve them.”
The Kinzhal, an air-launched variant of the Iskander Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM) which has also, more frequently, been used in Ukraine, was unveiled by the President of Russia – Vladimir Putin in 2018 as a cornerstone of a modernized Russian arsenal.
The missile is hypersonic and travels at least 5 times the speed of sound. It is also particularly difficult to detect because it can be launched from MiG-31 fighter jets, giving it a longer range and the ability to attack from multiple directions. Besides, 8 Iranian-made Shahed drones were also used in the attacks.
The barrage came across the country at a time when Ukraine was focusing on Bakhmut, the Eastern city that Russia’s ground forces have been assaulting for weeks and appear to be on the cusp of capturing.
