KYIV — Ukrainian air defense reported shooting down 29 of 30 Russian rockets on Thursday morning, as the Kremlin delivered a new onslaught of cruise missiles.
It was the seventh massive missile attack carried out by Russia since the beginning of May. It has bombed all corners of Ukraine — including the rarely targeted Western regions.
All the Russian missiles aimed at Kyiv on Thursday were shot down, thanks to Ukraine’s high-end air defense systems.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported two blasts and a fire, likely caused by falling missile debris. “There are currently no casualties at the sites of debris fall in the Darnytskyi and Dnipro districts. There have been no appeals to doctors yet,” Klitschko said.
In Ukraine’s western region of Khmelnytskyi a Russian missile hit an infrastructure facility, the local council reported. No casualties were reported.
The barrages come as military analysts say Ukraine is gearing up to launch a counteroffensive aimed at liberating territory captured by Russian forces since their full-scale invasion in February last year. Ukraine has recently claimed to have retaken several square kilometers near Bakhmut, where Russia’s Wagner Group controls most of the city.