Kyiv was targeted by an exceptionally dense attack of Russian drones, cruise missiles and possibly ballistic missiles early Tuesday in the eighth assault on the Ukrainian capital this month, a senior city military official said.
The Russian aerial assault from multiple directions was "exceptional in its density, with the maximum number of attacking missiles in the shortest time possible," Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said in a Telegram post.
But most of the Russian munitions failed to hit their marks, Popko added.
"The vast majority of enemy targets in Kyiv's airspace were detected and destroyed," he claimed.
At least three people were injured, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Authorities said early reports of damage were minor, with a building and several vehicles catching fire from falling debris in one area of the capital.
"We are grateful to our air defense for protecting the lives of Kyiv residents!" Popko said, adding the assault was the eighth attack by Russia on Kyiv since the beginning of May.
Last week the Ukrainian capital was targeted by what Klitschko called Russia's "most massive" drone attack, in which 36 Iranian-made Shahed were fired on the city. All 36 were intercepted and damage from falling debris was light, the mayor said.
Ukraine's air defenses, many of them Western-made, have been able to take out most of what Russia has challenged them with in recent months.
Earlier in May, Ukrainian and US officials said a US-made Patriot missile defense system had taken down a Russian missile.
Two US officials said Russia had tried to destroy a Patriot battery with a Kinzhal air-launched ballistic-missile strike, but Ukraine Patriot operators were able to intercept the Russian weapon.
Ukraine has received at least two Patriot systems, one from the United States and one from Germany, to enhance its air defenses, which had previously been unable to intercept more modern Russian missiles such as the Kinzhal.
