The Ukrainian capital was attacked by drones on Monday morning, said the military administration of the city of Kyiv, urging the population to be ready to take shelter.
"Critical infrastructure" in and around the city was hit, according to Ukrainian authorities, who say air defense systems destroyed about 15 of the 20 drones directed at the capital.
“Air defense systems are at work in the region,” regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.
“Stay in shelters and safe places until the alert is over.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones.
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The city administration triggered a first air alert at 1:56 a.m. local (2:56 a.m. French time) which lasted just over three hours.
A second alert was issued at 5:24 a.m. (6:24 a.m. in France), and canceled within half an hour.
When the sirens of such alerts sound, the population is summoned to take shelter.
Several loud bangs were heard, but it was not immediately clear whether these were air defense systems destroying the drones or drones hitting their targets.
According to the authorities, the Russian forces carried out barrage fire, using the Iranian "Shahed" drones, used in the shelling of kyiv in recent weeks.
Mayor of kyiv Vitali Klitschko confirmed that "explosions" had occurred in the capital.
“Several explosions were heard in Solomianskyi and Shevchenkivskyi neighborhoods,” he said.
According to him, the attacks did not cause death or injury, and medics were working at the sites of the strikes, just in case.
35 drones sent to Ukraine, according to the Air Force
Press photos show rescuers putting out a fire in electrical infrastructure.
Emergency power cuts were reintroduced in Kyiv after the attacks, electricity supplier YASNO said.
Private homes were also damaged in the wider Kyiv region, and two people injured, according to Kuleba.
In total, Russia used about 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones in dawn attacks across Ukraine, 30 of which were destroyed, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
Faced with a series of military setbacks this fall, Russia opted from October for a tactic of massive bombardments to destroy electricity networks and transformers, plunging millions of civilians into cold and darkness in the midst of winter.
The Russian Ministry of Defense assures that these strikes target military and energy installations in Ukraine, and disrupt “the transfer of arms and ammunition of foreign production”.
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After a large-scale assault Friday in several cities, involving more than 70 missiles, the national electricity operator was forced to impose emergency cuts to repair the damaged energy network.
In the capital, people hunkered down in subway stations in search of warmth and shelter as officials scrambled to restore power.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, 6 million residents regained power on Saturday and 3 million on Sunday.
On Sunday evening, Volodymyr Zelensky again called on Western countries to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses after weeks of Russian airstrikes targeting Ukraine's energy grid.
“Dear Partners!
By helping us to fully protect our skies, by providing us with more modern and sufficient air defense systems, you can deprive the terrorist state of its main instrument of terror,” he pleaded in his daily address.
