Kyiv has been struck by “kamikaze drones,” the head of Ukraine’s presidential office said early on Monday. Mayor Vitali Klitschko has confirmed the report on Telegram.
Klitschko added that several residential buildings had been damaged and that rescuers were on their way to the site.
According to witnesses, two or three blasts hit the central Shevchenko district, which was also rocked by explosions last week.
DW correspondent Fanny Facsar reported “several” explosions, saying there was a noise “that appeared to be the sound of a drone.”
Facsar also confirmed reports of more blasts in the Ukrainian capital about an hour later. The Shevchenko district is a busy area with universities, bars and restaurants.
Last week, a barrage of Russian missiles struck Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in the largest barrage of strikes in months. At least 19 people were killed and over 100 others wounded.
The deadly assault sparked international outcry and a push from Germany and the United States to deliver air defense systems.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strikes last week were retaliation for a blast on a bridge linking mainland Russia to Crimea.
Here are the other main headlines from the war in Ukraine on October 17.
UK Defense Ministry: Crimea bridge blast continues to cause trouble for Moscow
According to the latest briefing published by the UK Defense Ministry on Twitter, the destruction of the Kerch Bridge linking mainland Russia and Crimea has made the Kremlin’s logistical issues “more acute.”
“Russian forces operating in southern Ukraine are likely increasing logistical supply flow via Mariupol,” in order to compensate, they said.
The update added that “with the Russian presence in Kherson strained, and the supply routes through Crimea degraded, the ground line of communication through Zaporizhzhia Oblast is becoming more important to the sustainability of Russia’s occupation.”
Heavy fighting in Donestk, Luhansk
On Sunday, clashes continued to rock the two regions in eastern Ukraine. President Zelenskyy said: “the most difficult [operation] is the Bakhmut direction, as in the previous days. We hold our position.”
Bakhmut is a strategically important city that has been the target of Russian strikes for weeks. Despite that, Ukrainian forces have been able to retake large swaths of land in the region.
es/rs (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/russia-ukraine-updates-several-explosions-rock-central-kyiv/a-63458451?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf