Amid incessant Russia-led attacks on Ukraine, heavy explosions and bombings were heard in the capital city of Kyiv, causing havoc across the eastern European country. The update on the Kremlin’s penetration and airstrikes toward Kyiv and Kharkiv along with air raid sirens sounding across the port city of Odessa come to the fore as gritty visuals of launched missiles and impacts have caught the world by storm. United States Senator from Florida Marco Rubio purportedly shared that ‘at least three dozen missiles’ have been fired at Ukraine’s capital city in the preceding 40 minutes.
While the Kremlin has claimed the explosion of over 83 Ukrainian military facilities, including 11 airbases, Ukraine claimed more than 60 Russian battalion tactical groups – the equivalent of between 30,000 and 60,000 troops – have been deployed. The visuals accessed by Republic TV show massive air bombings and destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure during the wee hours of Friday while firefighters and tankers strolled the avenues of Ukraine’s provinces.
Russia continues its attack on Ukraine
Local media houses reported the Russian military has deployed an S-400 air defence system in Southern Belarus along with Su-35S fighters while Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces launched a missile strike at the Primorsky Pasad border unit located in the Zaporizhia region. Reports further suggest that Ukraine Border Guards Service personnel were killed in the attacks while others were gravely injured.
Amid missile attacks and airstrikes in Kyiv, defence experts have commented that Russian strategic bombers are in the air over Kyiv while a large Russian military associate is headed from occupied Sumy to the capital city. Locals have shared visuals of Russian Ka-52 and Mi-8 helicopters over Kyiv’s water reservoir on Thursday night. Also, Russian Buk AD systems were spotted in Kherson as the invasion of Ukraine continued.
Further, Russia’s military advancement at Hlukhiv is currently halted while heavy clashes are continuing in Peremoha, in the northeast of Ukraine.
‘Over 3 dozen missiles’ fired at Ukraine’s Kyiv’: US
Amid encircling, encroachment, penetration, invasion and solid military attacks led by Russia, Foreign Affairs Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, who declared to the world that Russia has launched its invasion on Thursday, mentioned that ‘horrific rocket strikes’ are witnessed on Kyiv.
Taking to Twitter, he stated, “Horrific Russian rocket strikes on Kyiv. The last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany. Ukraine defeated that evil and will defeat this one. Stop Putin. Isolate Russia. Severe all ties. Kick Russia out of everywhere.”
Horrific Russian rocket strikes on Kyiv. Last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany. Ukraine defeated that evil and will defeat this one. Stop Putin. Isolate Russia. Severe all ties. Kick Russia out of everywhete.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 25, 2022
Ukraine counterattacks amid Russia’s invasion of Kyiv
In addition, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs shared that Russian fighter jets were shot down by Ukraine’s air defence and the wreckage crashed in the Darnitsky district. Also, contrary to initial claims by Ukraine, West media houses reported that the sounds of explosions over Kyiv was owing to Russian forces shooting down Ukrainian jets and not otherwise. The Ukrainian administration reported that Kyiv and Kharkiv have been and are being hit with ‘either cruise or ballistic missiles’.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense stated, “At the direction of the President (Joe Biden), Secretary of Defence Austin had ordered the deployment to Europe of approximately 7,000 additional service members.”