Russia slams Kyiv with ballistic missiles in mass overnight attack
Editor's Note: This is a developing story.
Explosions rocked Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight on Oct. 22 as Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack against Ukraine.
The attack comes shortly after Ukraine launched Storm Shadow missiles in a mass strike on Russia, according to the General Staff. The attack allegedly struck Russia's Bryansk Chemical Plant, which produces key components for Russian missiles.
Kyiv residents heard explosions in the city at around 1:10 a.m. local time, shortly after the Air Force issued a ballistic missile warning, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Several more rounds of explosions kicked off about 30 minutes later.
Explosions have also been reported in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and the port city of Izmail. Attacks remain ongoing at the time of publication and the consequences are still being determined.
Air defense units are working to repel the attack against Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. At least one fire has broken out in the city and medics have been dispatched to attack sites. The mayor also reported vehicle fires and damage to the windows and courtyards of some residential buildings.
No casualties have been reported in Kyiv as of 2:40 a.m. local time.
The attack also caused damage to residential neighborhoods and critical infrastructure in other parts of Ukraine. An apartment building in Zaporizhzhia was damaged overnight, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. At least one person has been injured.
The attacks in Izmail, Odesa Oblast, reportedly caused power outages in the city. Recent attacks on the region's energy facilities have left thousands of households without power.
Russia's latest mass attack comes amid an intensified assault against Ukraine's energy facilities ahead of winter. A deadly missile strike on Kyiv on Oct. 10 damaged a thermal power plant and triggered large-scale blackouts.
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Oct. 21 that Russia would only escalate attacks on Ukraine's power grid as international pressure — and the threat of U.S.-supplied Tomahawk missiles — fades.
Less than a week ago, hopes that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles and place real pressure on Russia were high, but were derailed by a phone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the White House.
Zelensky has argued that "long-range sanctions," in the form of Ukrainian strikes against Russian military and energy facilities, are key to forcing Moscow to the negotiating table. While Ukraine currently uses domestically produced drones to target these sites, the president has called for international partners to mount pressure on the Kremlin by supplying long-range missiles.
In a rare long-range missile strike against Russian territory, the Ukrainian military on Oct. 21 launched British Storm Shadows in a combined attack that hit the Bryansk Chemical Plant. The factory produces gunpowder and rocket fuel and is subject to international sanctions.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the U.S. will begin intelligence sharing with Ukraine to support long-range missile strikes on Russia's energy infrastructure.
Tania Myronyshena
