Russian missiles strike Kyiv, injuring two, city officials say

(LONDON) — Russian missiles struck the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early on Monday, injuring at least two people, the city’s administration said.

Moscow fired cruise and ballistic missiles at the city beginning at about 3 a.m., officials said in a message posted on the Telegram messaging app.

At least two people were injured, including one who was hospitalized, according to Serhiy Popko, head of the city’s administration.

About 34 cruise and ballistic missiles were fired, along with about 23 Shahed drones, the Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security of Ukraine said.

Air defenses in Ukraine destroyed at least nine ballistic and 13 cruise missiles, the government group said. Twenty of the drones were destroyed and three “did not reach their targets,” it added.

A Russian missile struck one of the city’s Islamic Cultural Centers, located in a mosque, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that “Russia has no regard for spiritual or human values, and no respect for any religion or faith.”

“The world must see that Russia’s war is not only against Ukraine, but also against humanity, dignity, and human life,” Zelenskyy said on social media. “Such barbaric acts have no place in our modern world. They must be strongly condemned and met with firm action by the international community.”

The early morning attack arrived a week after Russia launched a countrywide assault on Ukraine, strikes that were among the largest such aerial attacks since the war began in 2022, according to Zelenskyy.

Russia last Monday fired at least 127 missiles and 109 drones in an attack that lasted over eight hours.

The strikes on Monday arrived on the first day of a new school year for children throughout Ukraine, “despite the war and all the challenges,” Zelenskyy said.

“Ukraine is doing everything possible to provide children with maximum opportunities,” he said on social media. “All of our schools and higher education institutions that are operating today are a testament to our people’s resilience and Ukraine’s strength.”