Russia attacks Kiev with ballistic missiles, tension increases after Zelensky's warning of 'major attack'

Kiev: Russia launched missile attacks targeting Ukraine's capital Kiev and other cities on Thursday morning. The attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing a major attack.

According to Kiev's military administration, at least one person was killed in the attack. The Ukrainian cities of Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih also came under attack. The Ukrainian Air Force said that Kiev was attacked with ballistic missiles.

The Ukrainian Air Force warned that cruise missiles had been launched several times from Russian strategic aircraft. Apart from this, information about launch of cruise missile from Novorossiysk region of Southern Russia was also given.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the risk of further attacks remained and appealed to people to stay in safe places. Videos that surfaced on social media showed people taking shelter in Kiev metro stations.

Video of the aftermath from the village of Rusanov, near Kiev, showed damaged buildings and fires after the attack, CNN reported. The attack came a day after Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, where he sought to provide additional air defense systems to defend Ukraine.

Hours before the attack, Zelensky said he had received reports from the Ukrainian Air Force that Russia was preparing a major attack. He wrote on the social media platform

Zelensky said Moscow has been continuously attacking Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones during the more than four-year-long war with Russia. He alleged that Russia was not accepting efforts to end the war.

In an interview with Fox News, Zelensky said that Ukraine is trying for a diplomatic solution, but Russia has rejected these efforts. He said Ukraine needed to respond strongly and rely on sanctions.

Zelensky also noted the progress of Ukraine's domestic defense industry. He said that after the start of the war, Ukraine has strengthened its military technology and a large number of companies are providing modern technology to the soldiers.

He claimed that Russia is suffering heavy losses in the war and Russian President Vladimir Putin is losing a large number of soldiers every month. Zelensky said that now the direction of the war is changing in favor of Ukraine.