Loud explosions heard as Russia targets Kyiv with cruise missiles; debris causes building fire

A Russian cruise missile shot down by Ukrainian Air Defence Forces is seen in the backyard of a private house, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine May 18, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Loud explosions were heard in Kyiv on Thursday morning (May 18) and the city’s Military Administration said falling debris caused a fire in a non-residential building.

The scope of the Russian attack against the capital was unclear and there was no immediate information on casualties.

It was the ninth time this month that Russian air raids have targeted the capital, a clear escalation after weeks of lull and ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive using newly supplied advanced Western weapons.

The attack was carried out by strategic bombers from the Caspian region, probably using cruise missiles, and Russia later deployed reconnaissance craft over the capital. According to preliminary information, all enemy targets were destroyed, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv Military Administration said in a Telegram post.

“Debris fell on two districts and the fire at a garage complex was extinguished. There was no information so far about any victims,” Mr. Popko said.

“Earlier this week, Ukrainian air defences, bolstered by sophisticated Western-supplied systems, thwarted an intense Russian air attack on Kyiv, shooting down all missiles aimed at the capital,” officials said.

The bombardment, which targeted locations across Ukraine, included six Russian Kinzhal aero-ballistic hypersonic missiles, the most fired in a single attack in the war so far, according to Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat.

The cruise missiles used on Thursday were apparently X-101 and x-55 types developed during Soviet times.

The hypersonic missiles used on Tuesday have been repeatedly touted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as providing a key strategic competitive advantage and among the most advanced weapons in his country’s arsenal. The missiles are difficult to detect and intercept because of their hypersonic speed and maneuverability.

Sophisticated Western air defence systems, including American-made Patriot missiles, have helped spare Kyiv from the kind of destruction witnessed along the main front line in the country’s east and south. While most of the ground fighting is stalemated along that front line, both sides are targeting other territory with long-range weapons.