Putin launches biggest airstrike on Ukrainian capital since war began

There were no major damages or casualties in Kyiv, officials said, in what is so far the largest Russian aerial attack on Ukraine with more than 40 Iranian-made Shahed drones and missiles.

“Another difficult night for the capital,” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.

Officials said the Russian missile bombardment is aimed at putting civilians in psychological distress.

“With these constant attacks, the enemy seeks to keep the civilian population in deep psychological tension,” Serhiy Popko, head of the city’s military administration said on a Telegram messaging channel.

Monday morning’s attack exceeds the largest drone barrage of 36 aerial targets launched on Kyiv the previous night, which killed one person and injured several.

The Ukrainian capital Kyiv was shaken by several explosions in the early hours today after Russia fired more than 40 missiles and drones on the besieged country, marking the second overnight attack in a row.

This is the 15th such aerial assault by Russia on Kyiv this month.

“A missile shot down near Kyiv,” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. “Air defence working!”

Blasts were heard in several districts of Kyiv, including the historic neighbourhood of Podil where debris from the attack fell on a house and damaged a roof, the mayor said.

The Monday attack appeared to include a combination of missiles and drones, follows the largest drone barrage launched on Kyiv the previous night, which killed one person and injured several.

Ukrainian air defence force shot down more than 40 Russian aerial targets moving towards Kyiv in the early hours today, Kyiv city military administration said on Telegram.

The huge barrage of munitions included drones and missiles, the military administration said.

Russia‘s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, openly defended the country’s attacks on Ukraine during a new appearance on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg (28 May).

As the journalist brought up recent devastation from a missile hitting a hospital, the ambassador appeared agitated.

“The problem is the shooting is going on for nine years”, he said, blaming ‘US weapons’ as the cause of mass destruction, and denying Russian war crimes taking place.

Instead, Kelin said he had ‘documentation’ of crimes being committed by Ukrainian troops since the invasion began.

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Russia’s ambassador to the UK has warned of an escalation to the war in Ukraine as Britain and other Western allies commit more weapons to aid President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Andrei Kelin said the actions of Nato countries, “especially” the UK, risk lengthening and triggering a “new dimension” in the war.

He said Russia had “enormous resources” and despite the war already raging for over a year, he claimed his country had not yet started to “act very seriously”.

Otoy’s emotional music about the invasion ‘helps him feel alive’ despite tragedy close to home, Tara Cobham writes.

US senator Lindsey Graham dubbed ‘Russians dying’ as ‘the best money’ the US has spent during a meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelensky on Friday (26 May).

Footage from inside the room where it took place shows Graham joking with Zelensky that it’s ‘free or die’, as Ukraine requested more ‘long-range weapons’ to aid the ongoing invasion.

In a statement after the meeting, he said he expected the Ukrainian counter-offensive to ‘yield results’.