KYIV, Ukraine
Russia launched a wave of missile strikes on Friday across Ukrainian cities, including the capital, authorities said as they raised a nationwide air alert.
The overnight attacks came
days after Ukraine struck a Russian warship in the occupied Crimean port of
Feodosia.
Explosions were reported in
Kyiv, city mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a post on Telegram.
Missiles also struck at least
five other Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv in the northeast, Lviv in the
country's west as well as Odesa in the south, the cities' mayors and police
said.
"Today, at five o'clock
in the morning, the fascists' followers hit the peaceful city with S-300
missiles. 10 explosions rang out in Kharkiv. Specialized services quickly
arrived at strike spots," Kharkiv region police said.
Overnight attacks were also
reported in Sumy and Konotop.
In southern Odesa, a high-rise
building caught fire after being struck by debris from a downed drone, the
city's mayor said.
"As a result of another
enemy attack, one of the high-rise buildings was damaged. The fire was promptly
extinguished," mayor Gennady Trukhanov said in a social media post.
The attacks came after Kremlin
on Tuesday acknowledged a Ukrainian attack had damaged a warship in the
occupied Crimean port of Feodosia in what Ukraine and its Western allies called
a major setback for the Russian navy.
Ukraine has said its air force
destroyed the Novocherkassk landing ship, with President Volodymyr Zelensky
joking on social media that the vessel had now joined "the Russian
underwater Black Sea fleet".
Russian Defence Minister
Sergei Shoigu informed "about the damage to our large landing ship"
to President Vladimir Putin in "a very detailed report".
Russia's defence ministry said
that the ship was damaged by guided aerial missiles.
Ukraine's military said its
air force destroyed the Russian naval ship in a missile attack on the eastern
Crimean port.
On Thursday, Zelensky thanked
the United States for releasing the last remaining package of weapons available
for Ukraine under existing authorisation, as uncertainty surrounds further aid
to his war-torn country.
Zelensky had warned that any
change in policy from the US -- Kyiv's main backer -- could have a strong
impact on the course of the war.
"I thank President Joe
Biden, Congress, and the American people for the $250 million military aid
package announced yesterday," Zelensky said on social media.
"To defend freedom and
security not only in Ukraine and Europe but also in the United States, we must
continue to respond to ongoing Russian aggression," he said.
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