KYIV: Russia unleashed a massive combined attack on Kyiv early Friday, sparking fires and scattering debris across many districts of the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
At least 11 people were injured as emergency crews responded to multiple strikes, he said in a statement.
Five people were hospitalized, including one man in critical condition and a pregnant woman, after a series of powerful explosions sounded in the city and airs defenses were activated.
The attack on the capital was ongoing, officials said, urging residents to remain in shelters until the air raid alert is lifted. City authorities warned that power and water outages are possible.
In the Darnytskyi district, debris landed in the yard of a residential building and on the grounds of an educational facility. A car caught fire after being hit by falling fragments.
In the Dniprovskyi district, debris damaged three apartment buildings, a private household and caused a fire in an open area.
In the Podilskyi district, five residential buildings and a nonresidential structure were damaged.
In the Shevchenkivskyi district, falling debris sparked a fire in an open area near a medical facility and inside a nonresidential building.
In the Holosiivskyi district, debris ignited a fire at a medical facility and damaged another nonresidential building.
In the Desnianskyi district, fires were recorded in two residential buildings.
In the Solomianskyi district, a fire broke out on the roof of a residential building.
In the Sviatoshynskyi district, debris caused a fire in a private home.
In the Kyiv region, Russian strikes damaged critical infrastructure and private homes, injuring at least one civilian, regional head Mykola Kalashnyk said. A 55-year-old man in Bila Tserkva suffered thermal burns and was hospitalized, he said. Fires broke out in private houses in the capital's suburbs.
The strike came as European Union officials warned this week that Ukraine must continue to crack down on corruption following a major graft scandal that has put top nuclear energy officials under scrutiny. But they also offered assurances that aid will continue to flow as Kyiv strains to hold back Russia’s invasion.