According to the news report from CNN; Russian forces launched barrages of drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities on Thursday, causing a dozen or so loud explosions and the sound of antiaircraft gunfire to rattle the capital, Kyiv.
The attacks came after each side blamed the other for explosions at the Kremlin that raised fears of an escalation in the war.
Kyiv came under frequent bombardment since Russia launched its full-scale invasion over a year ago. However, rarely has Russia launched drones at the capital night after night.
At least two drones were spotted over Kyiv, and video shared online showed one being shot down, prompting cheers from watchers below in the Maidan, Kyiv’s central square.
Falling debris caused a small fire near a railroad station, but it had been contained. There was no immediate information about possible casualties.
The United States and Ukraine both expressed their fears that Russia would seek to intensify attacks after the explosions over the Kremlin on Wednesday, which were apparently caused by drones.
Russia blamed Ukraine for the episode, calling it an assassination attempt on President Vladimir V. Putin, and said it reserved the right to retaliate. Ukraine categorically denied involvement and accused Moscow of manufacturing the incident as a pretext for further aggression.
Meanwhile, explosions also shook Kyiv early Thursday, and a regional official said air defenses shot down Russian drones and ballistic missiles.
The Ukrainian military’s southern command in Odesa said drones were also shot down there, and some had the handwritten messages “For Moscow” and “For the Kremlin” on them.
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