Key facts
- Kyiv was targeted by a Russian attack overnight on August 16, with multiple explosions heard.
- Fires were reported in commercial buildings in the Obolonskyi and Holosiivskyi districts.
- The Air Force had warned of a ballistic missile threat shortly before the explosions.
- Recent Russian attacks have involved North Korean ballistic missiles and Zircon cruise missiles.
Kyiv was struck by a Russian attack overnight on August 16, with multiple loud explosions heard in rapid succession across the capital. A journalist on the ground reported hearing four explosions very loudly in the city center around 2:50 a.m. local time. Another reporter noted six explosions in the Pecherskyi district within three minutes of the air raid siren sounding, leaving little time for residents to seek shelter.
The Kyiv City Military Administration stated that a fire was reported at a commercial building in the Obolonskyi district as a result of the strikes. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko also reported that another building was set ablaze in the Holosiivskyi district.
Earlier in the night, the Air Force had issued a warning about the threat of a Russian ballistic missile attack, which was canceled at 2:35 a.m. However, the threat returned just minutes later, at 2:46 a.m.
Russia has continued its campaign of attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure. Recent strikes on August 11 involved North Korean ballistic missiles and Zircon cruise missiles, resulting in casualties in Zaporizhzhia and one civilian injury in Kyiv. Prior ballistic missile attacks on August 8 and August 5 caused multiple fatalities in Kyiv and its surrounding areas.