The Kiev Blitz: Residents forced underground by Russian bombing | World | News

A series of massive explosions shook Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday morning, igniting fires across the Ukrainian capital as Russia launched a devastating assault on the city using ballistic missiles and drones, with images of sheltering citizens looking tragically similar to historic photographs of Londoners sheltering in the tunnels and platforms of the Underground during the Blitz of WW2.

Kyiv residents fled to underground stations armed with sleeping bags and pets as air-raid sirens wailed across the city, seeking refuge from the thunderous blasts. Warnings had already been issued that a large-scale assault was on the horizon.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged residents to heed the air-raid warnings and remain “especially careful,” according to The New York Times. Speaking on Wednesday evening, he revealed that intelligence suggested Russia was preparing another “massive strike.”

The air-raid sirens had begun sounding several hours beforehand, according to reports, as residents braced themselves for a lengthy and turbulent night ahead.

Attack drones formed the opening wave of the assault. The relentless drone of air defences engaging the incoming threat was heard shortly after their arrival, followed by a tremendous explosion at around 11pm local time, the NYT reported, with further blasts following in quick succession.

A significant blaze was spotted burning in the heart of the city shortly afterwards, with a second, smaller fire visible just beyond it.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged citizens to remain in shelters as the night progressed, with ballistic missiles subsequently entering Ukrainian airspace in the wake of the drone strike.

A further succession of powerful explosions struck Kyiv just before 2am on Thursday, triggering car alarms throughout the city. Emergency crews rushed to the scene following the collapse of a nine-storey apartment block where residents were trapped, according to Klitschko.

He further revealed that firefighters battled blazes across at least two districts of the city, including a fire that broke out on the roof of a hotel, while another engulfed a separate residential building.

The full extent of casualties remains unclear, however Klitschko confirmed that five medical workers sustained injuries.

Numerous Kyiv residents had been steeling themselves for a large-scale assault similar to the one that struck on Wednesday night into Thursday.

Ukraine has been mounting pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin through long-range drone strikes on Moscow, disrupting Russian fuel supplies and launching sweeping attacks against Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Kyiv has stated its aim is to bring the fight to Russian soil and compel Putin to agree to bring the conflict to an end. Yet Putin has remained defiant and resolute, even as his capacity to shield Russian society from the war’s consequences has begun to crumble — his citizens are bearing the brunt of the all-out conflict, which Russia is barely any closer to winning than when it launched its invasion in February 2022.

“Putin wants to keep fighting,” Zelensky said on Wednesday in Ireland before rushing home. “That is why he must face conditions that make it impossible for him to keep this war going.”

Ukraine is seeking membership of the European Union, and while the process could take several years, Zelensky touched down in Ireland on Wednesday – which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency.

“Ukraine proves every day that it deserves to be an equal partner of our common European home. And we hope that during Ireland’s presidency of the EU Council, we will be able to achieve tangible progress on the path to membership and open all negotiations clusters,” Zelensky said.

Ukraine has emerged as a supplier of military technology coveted by numerous nations across the globe, particularly in the field of drones. Many European countries harbour concerns that Moscow’s territorial ambitions could extend beyond Ukraine, prompting leaders to describe Kyiv as a crucial barrier against Russian expansion.

Ukraine is “becoming a security provider for the whole of Europe,” Swedish Minister of Defense Paul Jonsson said in Kyiv, where he held talks with Ukrainian Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov.

As a result, the country has become increasingly embedded within the European defence community, including NATO – though progress has remained notably slow.