AFP journalists noted that several explosions occurred in Kiev shortly after an air alert was raised. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian missiles had attacked the west of the country.
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These explosions occurred shortly after the end of Vladimir Putin's major annual press conference in Moscow, where he reaffirmed that Moscow would see the end of its war.
Several anonymous Telegram channels, including one close to the Ukrainian presidency, assured that these were anti-aircraft shots aimed at shooting down Russian projectiles.
Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat also stated that several rockets also targeted the city of Starokostiantyniv (Khmelnytsky region in the west), where there is a military airfield.
“A missile hit the Khmelnytskyi region in this attack,” he added, without specifying whether it specifically targeted the city of Starokostiantyniv.
Since the start of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has regularly attacked this air base, located several hundred kilometers from the front line.
According to media reports, the most violent attack occurred last August, when Russian forces launched three waves of attacks using explosive drones, Kalibr and Kinjal missiles. The Ukrainian authorities assured that most of these projectiles were fired.
Shortly before the air alert was triggered on Thursday, the Air Force reported the takeoff of Mig-31 fighter jets from the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia.
Russia uses this type of aircraft in particular to launch hypersonic missiles at Ukraine, which are very difficult to shoot down.
The air alarm was sounded four times in Kiev on Thursday, the first time in months in the capital.
Russia has increased these attacks on Kiev in recent days.
On Wednesday, 53 people were injured in the capital by a hail of debris from Russian missiles fired in flight, particularly hitting a children's hospital, the highest death toll in months.