BBC team sees Russian cruise missiles as Russia hits Ukrainian cabinet building for first timepublished at 07:00 British Summer Time
07:00 BST
Sarah Rainsford
Eastern Europe correspondent, in Kyiv
Image source, Reuters
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has officially confirmed that the Cabinet building in Kyiv was damaged in the Russian attack early this morning – the first time the building has been hit.
The air force reports that a record number of drones and missiles were launched by Russia in the latest nightly attack – more than 800 in total.
According to the air force, nine missiles and 56 drones hit 37 locations, and the downed wreckage fell at eight locations.
The PM says the roof and upper floors of the cabinet building were damaged.
“The enemy terrorizes our people across the country every day,” she writes on social media.
Early this morning we saw a large column of smoke rising into the sky – from just behind the Maidan, Independence Square.
We then heard and saw two Russian cruise missiles – moving at very high speed, before another explosion.
It’s very rare for Russian missiles and drones to hit right in the city centre like this, because of the concentration of air defence in the area.
This time, it seems they were overwhelmed.