Vladimir Putin’s Russia unleashed a series of missile strikes on Ukraine overnight as Moscow prepares to celebrate Victory Day. Ukraine issued a nationwide air alert just hours after the strikes hit.
Capital Kyiv was among the locations targeted by the Kremlin with Iranain-made suicide drones and missiles used to hit targets.
Officials said Ukraine’s air defences destroyed all 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones Russia had launched.
Kyiv’s mayor said at least five people were wounded in the capital amid damage to a fuel depot, cars, buildings and infrastructure.
A food warehouse was set ablaze by a missile in the Black Sea city of Odesa, where officials reported three people wounded.
Earlier, the top commander of Ukraine’s ground forces says Vladimir Putin is pushing to try and capture Bakhmut before tomorrow’s Victory Day celebrations in Russia, with an increase of shelling in the frontline city.
“Today, it is important to make decisions as quickly as possible and predict the actions of the enemy,” Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said on his Telegram channel.
“The Russians still hope to capture the city by 9 May. Our task is to prevent this,” he said.
