Missiles rain down in revenge attack on Kyiv

RUSSIA launched a major aerial assault on the Ukrainian capital yesterday the first time it has been hit for 44 days.

- Mark Reynolds

Vladimir Putin ordered his armed forces to once again blitz Kyiv just days after his re-election.

Russia fired 31 ballistic and cruise missiles at the city before dawn as most residents were in bed.

It was the largest attack in weeks and follows a vow from Moscow for revenge over recent raids by Ukraine on its border regions and oil refineries.

Air defences reportedly shot down all the incoming missiles, but 17 people including a young child were injured by falling wreckage, authorities said.

Injuries

Terrified residents were woken by loud explosions at around 5am as the rockets arrived at roughly the same time from different directions, said Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Administration.