Ukraine’s Capital Under Attack By Russian Forces, Missiles

Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, came under missile attack Friday morning as Russian troops closed in, according to reports and video footage.

Ukrainian defense officials raised the alarm about multiple missile strikes hitting Kyiv as of Friday morning, and video footage verified by The New York Times showed an explosion in the early morning sky over part of the outskirts of the city.

“Going outside is now very dangerous due to the approach of the enemy. The only exception may be the need to move to a shelter if the Air Alarm signal is activated. Stay away from windows while at home,” the Kyiv City Council warned on its website.

Throughout the night, blasts could be heard in the capitol as the city gave out 18,000 weapons to reservists in the region, Ukrainian authorities said, according to CNN. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry also warned that Russian troops had entered a neighborhood just miles from Kyiv’s city center, CNN also reported.

Meanwhile, reports rolled in of civilian buildings facing damage from shelling in Kyiv, The New York Times and Reuters reported. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in one report that a rocket fragment had hit a residential building, causing some injuries, the NYT added.