Russia fires hypersonic missile at Kyiv, 4 dead

Russia confirmed using the hypersonic weapon alongside other missile types, stating operation targeted military installations in retaliation for a Ukrainian drone strike on a college dormitory in eastern Ukraine on Friday, which killed 21 people.

Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russia unleashed a powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during a massive bombardment of Kyiv that killed at least four people and injured 83 others. The attack featured 600 strike drones and 90 air, sea, and ground-launched missiles. Although air defences jamm­ed or destroyed 549 drones and 55 missiles, multiple ballistic strikes breached the capital’s networks. 

The residential sectors, schools, markets, and the Albanian ambassador’s residence sustained significant damage. The Defence Ministry of Russia confirmed using the hypersonic weapon alongside other missile types, stating the operation targeted military installations in retaliation for a Ukrainian drone strike on a college dormitory in eastern Ukraine on Friday, which killed 21 people.

The crisis has intensified Kyiv’s appeals to Western allies for emergency components to replenish its depleted US Patriot interceptor stockpiles. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that top diplomats will meet imminently to discuss dialing up international pressure on Moscow. 

Meanwhile, local rescue operations faced severe complications throughout Sunday morning as fire crews battled blazes across 50 separate structural locations in the Ukrainian capital.