Explosions echoed across the Ukrainian capital on Monday as air defenses fired a volley of Russian projectiles into Kiev in a rare daytime attack.AFP reported that air defense batteries were firing repeatedly as the attack occurred during rush hour as lightning flashed across the sky and smoke billowed over the city. As Ukrainian forces attempted to intercept the incoming missiles and drones, residents ran for cover.Russia has stepped up long-range drone and missile attacks in recent months, with primary targets including energy infrastructure.Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said debris from the downed drone fell in the center of the capital, but there were no immediate reports of a fire or casualties.“Drone debris has fallen in the very center of the capital city. There are no fires or casualties. The enemy attack on Kiev continues,” Klitschko wrote on social media as further explosions were heard.Ukraine’s air force also warned of a “high-speed target” approaching the capital from the north, near the border with Russia.Meanwhile, Russian officials said Ukraine carried out a major drone attack targeting Moscow over the weekend.Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defense systems intercepted waves of Ukrainian drones heading toward the capital.“Over the past two days, the Air Defense Forces have destroyed about 250 enemy UAVs on the way to Moscow and on the second line towards Moscow,” Sobyanin said on Telegram.
US peace efforts stalled due to Middle East war
The escalation comes as US-led efforts to bring Kiev and Moscow to the negotiating table have stalled amid escalating conflict in the Middle East following a 2026 Iran-Israel war.Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – the Russian invasion of Ukraine – sparked Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, displacing millions and killing hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians on both sides.The war in Ukraine – and now the conflict involving Iran – has underlined the growing role of relatively cheap drones capable of striking targets far from the battlefield, including energy facilities and major cities, at a fraction of the cost of conventional combat aircraft.While Russia has attacked Ukraine with missiles, artillery and drones, Kiev has responded swiftly with long-range drone strikes and sabotage campaigns inside Russian territory, targeting military commanders, oil refineries and energy infrastructure.