Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv hit by hypersonic ballistic missile as allies condemn ‘reckless escalation’

Energy infrastructure was damaged in a massive missile attack on Russia’s Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, including the city of Belgorod, local officials said this morning.

There were ⁠no casualties but power and water supply were interrupted, Interfax news agency reported. ‌It ​did not ‌provide ⁠further details.

Some locals said they had no choice but to flee Kyiv after Sunday’s attack, one of the worst so far on the capital since the war began.

“It was a terrible night, and there had never been anything like it in the entire war,” said Kyiv resident Svitlana Onofryichuk, 55, who had worked for 22 years in the market that was damaged.

“I am very sorry that I have to say goodbye to Kyiv now, I am not staying there anymore, there is no possibility,” she added.

“My job is gone, everything is gone, everything has burned down.”

Yevhen Zosin, 74, a Kyiv resident who witnessed the attack, said the moment he heard the explosion he rushed to grab his dog.

“Then there was another explosion and she and I were thrown back like a pin by the shock wave. We both survived, she and I. My apartment was blown to pieces,” he said.

In Kyiv’s Shevchenko district, a five-story residential building was hit, which caused a fire, and one person was killed, Ukraine’s state emergency service reported.

A school building was damaged by an attack while people sheltered inside, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Damage was recorded in 50 locations across several districts of the capital, including residential buildings, shopping centres and schools, Ukraine’s emergency service said in a Telegram post.

Fires continued to rage into the morning, complicating rescue efforts as buildings collapsed from the blasts.

Finland’s president Alexander Stubb said he is open to representing Europe in Ukraine peace talks if he is asked.

“If you ask, it’s probably something that can’t be answered negatively,” Stubb told Yle, Finland’s public service broadcaster.

Ukraine is seeking active communication channels to end the war with Russia as US-brokered peace talks have stalled amid the conflict in the Middle East.

Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine has asked Europe to help with the process of an airport ceasefire, a limited truce on attacks on airport facilities so that both nations can continue their air travel safely.

“We probably need a new role for Europe in our peace efforts,” Sybiha has said.

Nato’s joint military exercises on the London Underground are a reminder that the UK’s soft targets are underprotected and underfunded – even as our enemies are looking more dangerous than ever.

Following Russia’s attack on Kyiv with an Oreshnik hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile, Volodymyr Zelensky said on X on Sunday: “I am grateful to all our services currently working at the sites of Russia’s overnight strikes: units of the State Emergency Service, the National Police, and municipal services.

“Everyone is acting as effectively as possible, given the scale of the attack and its consequences: about 100 people have been injured across the country, and four more, tragically, have been killed.

“My condolences to the families and loved ones. In Kyiv alone, about 30 residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed.

“It is very important that our people are supporting one another. I am grateful to each and every person helping those affected.

“Continued support from our partners is no less important. I am grateful to everyone now expressing words of support. But concrete steps to bolster air defense are also needed – missile deliveries must not stop for a single day.”

An RAF jet carrying the defence secretary had its signals jammed as it flew near the Russian border this week.

John Healey was travelling back to the UK from Estonia, where he had been visiting British soldiers, when the electronic attack happened, according to The Times.

It is thought Russia was behind the incident on Thursday, which meant that smartphones and laptops were unable to connect to the internet and pilots had to use a different navigation system as the plane’s GPS was disabled for the entire three-hour flight.

A defence source told The Independent: “This is reckless Russian interference, but the RAF is well prepared to deal with this activity.”

Vladimir Putin’s attack on Kyiv and other cities has shown his “weakness”, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said after Ukraine was hit by a hypersonic missile and drone barrage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during the attacks.

Mr Zelensky said around 100 people were wounded in the attacks, with four killed, and he issued a fresh call for Ukraine’s allies to help with air defence weapons.

The Ukrainian leader said 90 missiles of various types and 600 drones were used by Russia.

“Unfortunately, not all of the ballistic missiles were intercepted – the largest number of hits was in Kyiv,” he said.

“Kyiv was the primary target of this Russian attack.”

He said the Oreshnik, which is capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads, struck the city of Bila Tserkva.

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said: “This strike was probably meant to demonstrate ‘strength’ to the domestic audience, but instead it only confirms Putin’s weakness.

“Even Russians see that he is a loser.”

Ms Cooper said: “Awful scenes in Kyiv and across Ukraine overnight after another massive Russian attack.

“I agree with Andrii – Moscow’s escalating assault on Ukrainian civilians betrays its weakness.”

Ukraine’s SBU security service said its drones attacked an ⁠oil pumping dispatch station in Russia’s Vladimir region on Sunday, adding that the facility was an important node ⁠in pumping oil ​products ⁠southwest to Moscow and its surrounding area.

“It supplies fuel ⁠to major oil depots around ​Moscow ⁠and to Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, ‌and Vnukovo airports,” the SBU said in a statement on social ‌media. It added that ‌a fire over an area spanning 800 square metres (8,600 square feet) was ⁠recorded after the strike.

The governor of Vladimir Region, Alexander Avdeyev, said in a social media post that the fire near the town of Kameshkovo had been extinguished.

Avdeyev’s post, ‌quoted by Interfax news agency, ​referred only to the fire ‌being at ⁠an infrastructure site and gave ⁠no indication that it was linked to ‌the oil ​industry.