Massive attack
On May 29, Russia launched a missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Then, on May 30, Russia launched a drone attack on Kiev.
The two attacks reminded residents of the capital Kiev that their city remains a Russian target even though the fighting is mainly in eastern Ukraine, hundreds of kilometers from the capital.
Russian cruise missiles in live-fire drills. (Illustration: Sputnik)
The head of Kiev’s military administration, Serhii Popko, said the attack on May 30 was massive and consisted of several waves. He said via the Telegram app that Russia carried out the attack using Iranian-made Shahed drones. The military administration said that Ukrainian air defenses destroyed more than 20 drones.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko has warned residents not to leave their shelters. About 20 residents of a high-rise building in Kiev were evacuated early on Thursday after debris from a Russian-launched aerial target caused a fire, Klitschko said. One person died and at least three others were injured by falling debris, the mayor said.
On May 29, 11 ballistic missiles were fired into Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said they intercepted all 11. But debris from the midair collisions caused fires and other damage.
Change tactics
The missiles hit Ukraine just after 11am local time on May 29, sending residents of the city scrambling for cover. They were followed by a drone attack the following day. The two attacks suggest Russia is testing weak spots in Ukraine’s defenses.
Ukrainian officials said Russia changed the timing of the bombings, the combination of weapons and even the flight paths of missiles and UAVs, flying them low along riverbeds and through valleys to avoid detection.
Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, said Russia was trying to “distract and mislead our air defenses.” He said the enemy was “using the terrain of the area to hide from radar.”
Ukrainian people take shelter in the subway system. (Photo: Reuters)
The Ukrainian government condemned the Russian attack on May 29. In a statement, Ukrainian official Popko said Russian forces “attacked a peaceful city in broad daylight, when most residents were at work and on the streets.”
Russian officials, however, have denied attacking civilian targets. They said the attack on May 29 was aimed at air bases. Ukrainian officials also acknowledged that Russia had hit at least one military facility, damaging an airport in Khmelnytskyi, western Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials added that Russia has been steadily deploying attack UAVs, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to attack not only Kiev but also other places in Ukraine.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched up to 40 cruise missiles and 35 Iranian-made military drones before dawn on May 29.
Reaction of Ukrainian people
In Kiev, rescue teams were dispatched to put out fires caused by debris falling from the UAV.
Kseniia Khyzhniak, 35, grabbed her two children and rushed into the shelter as Ukrainian anti-aircraft missiles were launched into the air, creating a loud explosion when they hit their targets. Ukrainians standing at the entrance of the shelter shouted, “Hurry up!”
Meanwhile, Oleksandr, 40, a technician, also headed toward the bunker but wondered what it meant. “The death rate from car accidents in Kiev is statistically higher than from artillery fire,” he told himself. “But I can’t tell my body to stop.”
Meanwhile, 68-year-old pensioner Anatolii Semenov is more philosophical: “ I don’t go into a shelter. I never do. There is a Ukrainian saying: What will happen will happen. My father taught me that.”
Trung Hieu (VOV.VN/New York Times)
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