Russia launches attack on Kyiv — military – DW – 06/12/2024

Ukraine’s air defense forces say they shot down five of six missiles and 24 drones launched by Russia in a nighttime attack.

All five missiles targeting the capital kyiv, including a Kinzhal hypersonic missile, were shot down, according to Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk, while an Iskander ballistic missile managed to pass into the south of the country.

In kyiv, air raid sirens sounded twice for a total of two hours.

Several fires broke out outside the city due to falling rocket debris, including at an unspecified industrial site. A gas station, several garages and a private building were reportedly damaged.

The regional governor said one person was injured.

The United States will supply Ukraine with another Patriot missile system, The New York Times and Associated Press reported citing officials familiar with the matter.

President Joe Biden has approved the deployment of the Patriot system, officials said, but no official announcement has yet been made.

This would be the second Patriot system supplied by the United States to kyiv following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The new system will come from Poland and could be deployed on the Ukrainian front lines in the coming days, The New York Times reported.

The Pentagon has supplied kyiv with an undisclosed number of missiles for this system since the start of the war, to help kyiv repel Russian air attacks.

Last month, Zelensky urged the United States to send American-made Patriot systems, arguing they will help his forces combat the nearly 3,000 bombs he says Russia drops into the country every month.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that his country would send 100 additional Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine as part of a joint effort with Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway.

The announcement was made Tuesday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended a conference on Ukraine’s recovery in Berlin.

Germany is Ukraine’s second largest supporter behind the United States and the largest supporter in Europe.

Russia launched an air attack on kyiv early Wednesday, the Ukrainian military announced on Telegram.

Ukrainian defense systems are repelling the strikes, he adds, without providing further information. Several explosions were heard in kyiv, DW’s Emmanuelle Chaze reports.

Air raid warnings were announced across the country after midnight.

mf/rm (Reuters, AP, AFP)