Ukraine-Russia war live: Child among dozen injured as major missile attacks on Kyiv foiled

Maryam Zakir-Hussain, Tom Watling & Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

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A girl child was among 13 people who suffered injuries yesterday as Russian forces launched one of the biggest airstrikes on the Ukrainian capital in weeks.

The Ukraine air force said Russia launched 31 missiles, including two ballistic missiles, and 29 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles. All the missiles fired toward Kyiv were downed by air defences.

Schools, residential buildings and industrial facilities were also damaged, Ukrainian officials said.

The attack on Kyiv comes a day after a Russian missile hit an industrial area in Ukraine’s northern city of Kharkiv, killing five.

Meanwhile, a leading war think tank has said several indicators point to Russia preparing for a large-scale conflict with Nato.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War said: “Putin’s attempts to set conditions to stabilise Russia’s economy and finances are most likely part of... preparations for a potential future large-scale conflict with NATO and not just for a protracted war in Ukraine.”

The think tank also referred to Polish president Andrzej Duda’s interview in March where he cited German research that indicates “Putin is intensifying efforts to shift Russia to a war economy with the intention of being able to attack NATO as early as 2026 or 2027”.