Russia has launched an airstrike on the Ukrainian capital, following a series of threats from President Vladimir Putin.

The missile strikes took place on Friday morning, and have so far killed “at least one and wounded seven,” according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense via Telegram. The Kyiv City Military Administration later said that the number of injured had risen to 11.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that Russia introduced an Iskander ballistic missile from the Rostov region, as well as a Kh-59/69 guided missile and 65 Shahed attack drones.

Five ballistic missiles and 40 Russian drones were shot down before reaching their target, the general said.

Ukraine has called on its Western backers to provide more air defenses to its major cities, many of which were left underpowered by last November’s planned attack on the country’s force network.

Although Ukrainian air defenses intercepted missiles during Friday’s attack, they have already caused significant damage in the Ukrainian capital, sparking fires in several areas, and the government urged citizens to stay in shelters.

“As a result of the enemy attack, debris fell in the Holosiivskyi, Solomyanskyi, Shevchenkivskyi and Dniprovskyi districts. There are fires: cars are also burning on the roofs of buildings. A heating pipe was also damaged in the Holosiivskyi district. The emergency is at work. Everywhere,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.

In the Holosiivskyi district, hundreds of residential buildings are currently without heat, alongside 16 medical institutions, 17 schools and 13 kindergartens, Klitschko said.

The barrage comes a day after Putin challenged the West to a “high-tech duel,” with Kyiv as the proposed theater.

During his annual new conference on Thursday, Putin responded to those who doubted the capabilities of Russia’s Oreshnik. The hypersonic ballistic missile, which Putin has claimed “virtually [eliminates] the need to employ nuclear weapons,” was first used to strike a military-industrial facility in Dnipro in November.

Responding to “Western experts” who claim that air defenses can intercept the Oreshnik, Putin said: “Let them propose to us, those in the West and the United States, to carry out some kind of technological experiment. technological duel of the 21st century. Let them find an object to attack, for example in kyiv, concentrate all their air and missile defense forces there, and we will attack there with the Oreshnik. We will see what happens for such an experience.

“We will conduct such an experiment, such a technological duel and see what happens,” he added. “It’s interesting.”

People are dying and he finds it “interesting”. . . Stupid. pic. twitter. com/JyJ9ok0fok

Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelensky responded to threats against X by writing: “People are dying and he thinks it’s ‘interesting’. . . Nonsense**. “

At Thursday’s conference, Putin also encouraged the United States to supply Ukraine with THAAD anti-ballistic missile systems, which were delivered to Israel in mid-October following an Iranian attack.

“I don’t know if [THAAD] is in Ukraine or not, in my opinion not. If the Americans hand them over, let them do it,” the Russian president said.

“We can see what can be said to our guys in Ukraine and ask ourselves if there are technical answers that are attractive to us,” he added.

Wladimir Klitschko, former boxer and brother of Kyiv Mayor Vitali, via X: “Kyiv this morning. Like every morning in #Ucrania, the population does not wake up to the sun, but to the sound of bombs and the screams of the Victims. For almost 3 years, our morning regime has been in mourning. We will have to prevent this savagery and neutralize Putin’s Russia NOW. “

Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said via Telegram on Friday morning: “The Western public is stunned by the idea of ​​a hypothetical technological duel that will employ the Russian Oreshnik missile defense system and NATO taking As an example, a facility in kyiv hears: “how is it possible”, “this is unacceptable”… Actually, every day, Western leaders communicate about movements “deep in Russia, who do not faint in the face of such statements. ” forget the law and foreign law, humanity and human rights.

A humanitarian headquarters has been deployed in the Holosiivskyi district to treat those injured in the latest attack, the Kyiv city administration recently announced.

On December 11, State Department deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters that Russia could deploy the experimental missile for a second time “in the coming days,” though it is unclear whether such a strike will take place or be used to target Kyiv, as Putin has suggested.

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Hugh Cameron is Newsweek Live News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on international politics, conflict, and crime. Hugh joined Newsweek in 2024, having worked at Alliance News Ltd where he specialised in covering global and regional business developments, economic news, and market trends. He graduated from the University of Warwick with a bachelor’s degree in politics in 2022, and from the University of Cambridge with a master’s degree in international relations in 2023. Languages: English. You can get in touch with Hugh by emailing [email protected]