Ukraine shoots down dozens of rockets over Kyiv in deadly attack

Ukraine says it has shot down dozens of drones over Kyiv, fending off the latest onslaught from Russia. 

Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that Russia launched nearly 60 Iranian-made drones, 36 of which rained down on the capital. Ukraine shot down all the rockets over Kyiv, but falling debris left damage. 

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry gave a slightly different figure, saying 30 rockets targeted Kyiv specifically, and “35 of 35 Russian drones were shot down.”

The Kyiv City Military Administration said on Telegram that five people in the capital were injured in the latest bout of attacks. Additional shelling elsewhere killed three civilians, the defense ministry reportedly said.

Russia has used such Iranian-made drones before, turning to Iran for military aid as it faces economic sanctions elsewhere. 

The attacks came as Ukraine marks a day of remembrance for World War II and the defeat of Nazi Germany.

“Unfortunately, evil has returned. Although now it is another aggressor, the goal is the same — enslavement or destruction,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.

Russia’s war on Ukraine has waged on for more than a year. Moscow last week claimed it stopped a Kyiv attack and assassination attempt against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence, though Ukrainian officials rejected the allegations.