Russia has launched another overnight attack on Kyiv, with Ukrainian air defences shooting down drones before ballistic missiles targeted the capital,
according to journalists from the Kyiv Independent on the ground. Several large explosions were heard across the city early on 1 September. One blast was strong enough to trigger car alarms, while the sound of air-defence interceptors could also be heard. Video footage showed Russian Kalibr cruise missiles being launched from Novorossiysk. The latest attack followed a fifth consecutive day of near-continuous Russian drone attacks on Kyiv. Russian strikes elsewhere in Ukraine killed at least seven people and injured another 45 over the previous day, according to local authorities. Russian Attacks Resume in Kyiv As night fell on 31 August, Ukrainian air defences again engaged Russian drones over central Kyiv. Several drones were reported to have been shot down. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said fires had been reported across the city. A blaze broke out in the Darnytskyi district after a drone was shot down, while a wooded area caught fire in Solomyanskyi district. Drone debris was also found at two locations in the Holosiivskyi district. At about 22:17 local time, a "very loud" explosion was heard in central Kyiv, according to Kyiv Independent Deputy Chief Editor Toma Istomina. The Kyiv City Military Administration lifted an air-raid alert at 22:27, after it had been in place since 19:46. Ballistic Missiles Target Kyiv Another alert was issued at 23:32 and lifted at 00:15 on 1 September. A further alert followed at 02:10, as Ukraine's Air Force warned that Kyiv was being targeted by several missiles. Four people, including two children in the Solomyanskyi district, were injured, the Kyiv military administration said. Dozens of explosions were then heard across Kyiv between 02:23 and 02:34, shortly after the latest air-raid alert was issued, Istomina reported. "This is the biggest missile attack on Kyiv in a while," Kyiv Independent Editor-in-Chief Olga Rudenko said as the explosions continued. Kyiv Faces Record Air-Raid Alerts The latest strikes come after a series of intense Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv has recorded a record number of air-raid alerts in recent days as Russia appears to have shifted towards near-hourly launches of jet-powered drones, rather than its more usual large overnight barrages involving ballistic and cruise missiles preceded by waves of drones. On 28 August, Kyiv recorded 13 air-raid alerts, the highest number since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
