Poland closes airspace after 'massive' Russia attack in Ukraine's capital kills at least four
A large Russian drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital has killed at least four people and left at least 10 others injured as Poland scrambled to close its airspace, authorities said.
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Thick black smoke could be seen rising from a blast near the centre of Kyiv early on Sunday, believed to be the biggest Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital since the invasion began in 2022.
Other regions, including Zaporizhzhia, where at least 16 people, including three children, were injured, were also struck.
The strike prompted security fears from neighbouring Poland, which closed airspace near the southeastern cities of Lublin and Rzeszow as a preventive measure.
It comes after unidentified drones were observed this week in Germany and at military bases and airports in Denmark.
The attack on Ukraine that began overnight and continued after dawn targeted residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, a medical facility and a children's nursery, according to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, who said damage was reported at more than 20 locations across the capital.
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City administrator Tymur Tkachenko said a 12-year-old girl was among those killed.
"The Russians have restarted the child death counter," he wrote on Telegram.
At Kyiv's central train station, passengers arrived to the crackle of anti-aircraft gunfire and the low buzz of attack drones.
Mostly women, they waited quietly in a platform underpass until the air raid alert ended.
"The sky has turned black again," said one woman at the station, who gave only her first name, Erika. "It's happening a lot."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the attacks on Ukraine as "massive" as he called on more punitive sanctions against Putin.
Speaking about the Russian president, he said on X: "Putin must feel the danger of continuing this war —personally for him, his buddies' pockets, his economy, and his regime.
"That is what can make him stop this senseless war."
After the strikes, Poland closed the airspace near Lublin and Rzeszow due to "unplanned military activity related to ensuring state security".
"In connection with the activity of the Russian Federation’s long-range aviation carrying out strikes on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aircraft have begun operating in our airspace," the military said in a post on X.
Concerns over growing Russian aggression were sparked earlier this week when drones were seen in several European countries. Russia denies involvement.
Unidentified drones were observed at Karup Air Base, Denmark's largest military base, yesterday according to several local media outlets, days after drone activity at four Danish airports disrupted flights.
The Danish defence ministry said drone activity was also noticed at Skrydstrup Air Base and the Jutland Dragoon Regimen.
On Monday night, unidentified drones spotted over Copenhagen Airport grounded flights out of the Danish capital.
Drone activity was also seen overnight from Wednesday into Thursday near Aalborg Airport and three smaller airfields in Esbjerg, Sonderborg and Skrydstrup.
The Russian embassy in Copenhagen denied "absurd speculations" of its involvement in what it described as "staged provocations" to the BBC.
In Germany, several drones were reported in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, which borders Denmark, from Thursday into Friday night.
On Friday, Sir Keir Starmer met with Canadian prime minister Mark Carney and agreed that a "united" Nato and its members are prepared to defend the bloc's airspace.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the two together “expressed full solidarity” with their counterpart from Denmark Mette Frederiksen, “following recent incursions by unidentified drones into Danish airspace”.