KYIV, Feb 22 (AFP): Explosions rocked Kyiv before dawn on Sunday after officials warned of a ballistic?missile attack, just two days before the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion.
AFP journalists in the capital heard a series of loud blasts beginning around 4:00 am (0200 GMT), shortly after an air raid alert was issued.
"The enemy is attacking the capital with ballistic weapons," the head of Kyiv's military administration Tymur Tkachenko said on Telegram, urging people to remain in shelters. The air force later extended the alert nationwide, warning of a broader missile threat.
Kyiv, regularly targeted by Russian missile and drone attacks since the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022, has faced waves of overnight strikes in recent weeks as Moscow has intensified its winter assaults on energy and military infrastructure.
Temperatures had plunged to nearly minus 10C when the capital was struck again, with emergency services deployed across the city. Tkachenko later said the attacks had caused a fire on the roof of a residential building.
The strikes also prompted heightened vigilance across Ukraine's western border.
Missiles pound Kyiv ahead of Russian invasion anniversary
FE Team | Published: February 22, 2026 22:08:44
Missiles pound Kyiv ahead of Russian invasion anniversary
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