In the early morning of 23 January, Russians started another missile attack against Ukraine.
The first reports on the takeoff of 12 Tu-95MS strategic bombers, capable of carrying Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles, from the Olenya air base in Russia emerged around 2 a.m. Kyiv time. The Olenya base is located in Murmansk Oblast in Russia’s far northwest.
At 5:20, air raid alerts were declared in Ukraine’s eastern and some central regions after the first launches of the missiles. Later, the alerts expanded all across Ukraine, with the first Russian missiles entering the Ukrainian air space at around 6 a.m. through the country’s northeastern Sumy Oblast.
The first group of the missiles bypassed Kyiv Oblast from the south and approached the Ukrainian capital from Zhytomyr Oblast (southeast). Monitoring channels reported air defense activities in Kyiv.
While the second group of the missiles was approaching Kyiv, the Russians attacked Dnipro and Kharkiv cities with ballistic missiles from the south.
At around 7:10, the second group of the missiles was moving towards Kyiv and was reportedly successfully repelled, while more missiles headed towards Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
As of 7:30, there were no new waves of missiles in the Ukrainian airspace. However, at the moment only a few of the Russian strategic bombers have made launches and the missile threat was still persisting.
The Kyiv City Military Administration said cars were on fire in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district after the explosions. Kyiv Mayor Klitschko reported that first responders got emergency calls in Solomianskyi district.
One injured person was hospitalized after the explosions in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district, Mayor Klitschko said.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that the Russian strike destroyed an entire section of an apartment building. Rescuers were dismantling the rubble trying to find people blocked under it.
“Also, one of the most affected parts of [Kharkiv’s] Kyiv district has no electricity and partially no water. Relevant services are working to repair the damage caused by the enemy shelling,” Terekhov added.
A Ukrainian air defense forces linked Telegram channel said that as of about 7:40, Russia used the following assets during the attack:
- up to 12 Tu-95MS
- 5 Tu-22M3 aircraft
- an unspecified number of S-300/S-400 ballistic missiles, “as well as others.”
- “and there were probably launches from tactical aircraft.”
The Kyiv City Military Administration shared the photos of the attacks aftermath in one the capital’s districts:
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1749676001192272089?t=CZYXsRniJDnPTxPFOxM08A&s=19
Kharkiv Oblast authorities say the Russian missile attack on the city killed two women and injured 28 more people:
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1749694016503816453?t=P4ITU7RPQ-mQdpvQzMHcBw&s=19
(The article is being updated as the Russian missile attack is unfolding)
Later, the Kharkiv Oblast mayor updated that the injury toll in Kharkiv rose to 38, with two more civilians confirmed as killed by the Russian attack.
According to an update by the Kyiv City Military Administration, as of 09:00, one person was killed and 14 others were injured, most of those having mine-blast injuries. Later, Kyiv Mayor Klitschko said that the woman that was allegedly killed in the attack, was alive but in the intensive care unit. As of 9:30, the civilian injury toll in Kyiv was at 18, with 13 of those hospitalized, including three children, according to Klitschko.
“A 13-year-old boy and four adults were treated on the spot. One woman was taken to intensive care and continues to receive intensive care. The victim is currently alive!” Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at 9:30.
This concludes our live coverage of the Russian missile attack on the 23 January morning. Read the follow-up articles on this topic:
Ukraine downs 21/41 Russian missiles in another massive missile assault that killed at least six civilians (updated)
This was the second Russian missile attack on Kyiv City this year. The previous attack occurred on 2 January. Meanwhile, Russia hits Kharkiv City with ballistic missiles almost every day due to its proximity to the border with Russia.
