Kiev ablaze after reported overnight missile and drone barrage (VIDEOS)

Ukrainian officials claimed at least 13 impacts, with blurred-out footage showing large fires lighting up the skyline

Ukrainian officials have claimed that the Russian military launched a wave of missile and drone strikes targeting the capital early Friday. The Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to comment.

The first strikes in Kiev were reported shortly after midnight, with Mayor Vitaly Klitschko urging residents to seek shelter as the capital’s air defenses engaged incoming targets. Officials confirmed that by 4am, several mostly “non-residential” facilities in multiple districts had been hit in successive waves.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities, but Klitschko said at least 14 people were injured after falling debris from intercepted missiles and drones triggered fires in residential areas and private yards.

Meanwhile, multiple blurred-out videos shared on Ukrainian social media appeared to show the aftermath of the strikes, with numerous fires lighting up the city skyline. Officials confirmed at least 13 impacts in different parts of the capital.

The exact locations and types of facilities hit were difficult to verify, as Ukrainian authorities heavily censor the flow of information and punish those who share footage of the impacts – unless a civilian facility is affected.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet issued a statement on the incident. Moscow regularly conducts drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure, maintaining that its operations do not target civilians and blaming Kiev for placing air defense systems in densely populated areas.

The reported strikes came just hours after President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with his US counterpart, during which Donald Trump reportedly urged Russia to cease hostilities in Ukraine “as soon as possible.” Putin, in turn, reaffirmed Moscow’s openness to a negotiated solution but reportedly stated that Russia would not back down until the “well-known root causes” of the conflict are addressed.

Despite several rounds of direct negotiations in Istanbul in recent months, Kiev has continued long-range attacks on Russian territory, including nightly drone operations. A Ukrainian drone strike reportedly caused fatalities and serious injuries at an industrial plant in the city of Izhevsk, located about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) east of Moscow. On Monday, a woman was killed and three others injured in a missile strike on the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

https://www.rt.com/russia/620968-kiev-missile-drone-strikes-fires/