By Blessing Nweke
Russian missile and drone attacks on several major Ukrainian cities killed at least nine people and wounded more than 60 early Tuesday, Ukrainian authorities said, amid warnings from Kyiv that Moscow was preparing a large-scale assault.
The southeastern city of Dnipro was among the hardest hit, with five people killed and 25 others injured in a barrage of missiles and drones, according to regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha. All those wounded were hospitalized and reported to be in moderate condition. Images released by local officials showed heavily damaged residential buildings, burned vehicles and a destroyed children’s playground.
In the capital, Kyiv, at least four people were killed and 51 injured, including children, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. A suspected missile strike hit a 24-story apartment building, causing part of the structure to collapse and raising fears that residents remained trapped beneath the rubble.
Klitschko said falling missile debris also ignited fires in several locations across the city. A nine-story apartment building was set ablaze, while burning vehicles and fires near a kindergarten were reported in the Obolon district.
As air raid sirens sounded across much of Ukraine, thousands of Kyiv residents sought refuge in subway stations, carrying mattresses, bags and other belongings while air defense systems engaged incoming threats overhead.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated warnings that Russia could launch a major offensive. In a nightly address, he said intelligence assessments continued to indicate the possibility of a massive strike and stressed that Ukrainian defenders remained on constant alert.
Russia had warned last week that it would carry out “systematic strikes” on military-related targets and decision-making centers in Kyiv. Moscow said the campaign was in response to a drone attack in Russian-controlled Luhansk that killed 21 people, an accusation Ukraine has denied.
Meanwhile, authorities reported a fire at Russia’s Ilsky oil refinery following a drone attack, while air defenses were also responding to drones over Sevastopol in Crimea.