In the early hours of June 18, Russian forces carried out a new missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev and the city of Poltava, using ballistic weapons, RBC-Ukraine reported.
An air alert was declared in most of the territory of Ukraine.
The signals of a ballistic threat from the north were issued around midnight. The first alert was canceled at 00:58, but at 01:22 it was declared again.
Powerful detonations echoed in Kiev around 01:24 local time. Witnesses and foreign journalists on the scene confirmed the loud explosions, which forced residents to urgently seek safety in shelters.
The head of the city's military administration, Timur Tkachenko, officially confirmed on Telegram that the capital was attacked with ballistic missiles.
As of the initial reports this morning, there were no reports of deaths or serious material damage in Kiev, and local services continue to assess the situation on the ground.
Similar explosions (about six in number) were also recorded in the Poltava region.
Three days earlier, on June 15, Kiev experienced a massive strike, which severely damaged the historic Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery (a UNESCO site). The current wave also coincides with diplomatic talks and the G7 summit in France, where strengthening Ukraine's air defense is a leading topic.