By Vladyslav Smilianets and Gleb Garanich
kyiv (Reuters) – Russian forces launched a combined drone and missile strike on the Ukrainian capital kyiv on Saturday, killing three people in a central neighborhood, officials said.
Explosions erupted in the predawn sky as air defenses repelled the attack, which also injured three other people, according to the head of the city’s military administration, Timur Tkachenko.
A shopping center, a business center, a metro station and a water pipe were also damaged, he said.
“Russian forces first launched drones, then a ballistic missile strike,” parliamentary ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets wrote on social media. “These actions only highlight the cruelty and barbarity of the enemy.”
Rescuers trudged through a flooded street while sifting through debris. The charred remains of a van were visible outside the station, whose facade was marred by twisted metal and blown out windows.
At dawn, they could be seen examining missile fragments and loading a body bag into a truck.
Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told Ukrainian media that both missiles targeting kyiv were destroyed, but one was shot down at low altitude, causing heavy damage .
There was no immediate comment from Moscow, which denied deliberately targeting civilians.
Russia also struck the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, where the regional governor said 10 people were injured and offices at an industrial facility were damaged.
The Ukrainian military said it destroyed 24 of 39 drones and two of four missiles launched by Russia in various regions of Ukraine during the night attack.
A Russian missile strike on the town of Kryvy Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on Friday killed four people and partially destroyed an educational institution, officials said.
“Everyone who helps the Russian state in this war must face pressure as powerful as these strikes,” Zelenskiy wrote on social media in response to Saturday’s attack.
Russia has carried out regular airstrikes on towns far behind the front line since the start of its nearly three-year invasion of Ukraine, particularly targeting critical infrastructure.
