Kyiv, 24 May (H.S.): After drone strikes in Russian‑held parts of eastern Ukraine, Russian forces launched a major air assault on the Ukrainian capital early Sunday local time, firing ballistic missiles at four separate locations. The strikes wounded at least five people and damaged residential buildings. Dozens sought shelter in an underground metro station in central Kyiv.

CBS News quoted Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, writing on Telegram that “a large‑scale ballistic missile attack has been carried out on the capital. Five people have been wounded; one has been hospitalized. At least four locations have been hit. Fires have broken out in Shevchenkivskyi, Dniprovskyi and Podilskyi districts. Residential buildings have been damaged. The ballistic missile threat remains.”

Ukrainian authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv had earlier warned of a likely major attack on the capital. Kyiv officials said medical teams were dispatched to Podilskyi district, where debris fell in at least one location. A residential building near Shevchenkivskyi also caught fire in the strikes.

On Friday, Russia’s foreign ministry warned that those responsible for the attack would face severe punishment. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued alerts about preparations that suggested simultaneous strikes on Kyiv and other locations.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar