UK sending hundreds of missiles to Ukraine after Putin’s biggest air attack of war

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The UK is sending lots of of British-made air defence missiles to Ukraine, after Russia launched the most important aerial assault for the reason that warfare started on a number of main cities, leaving a minimum of 30 civilians lifeless and scores injured.

In an 18-hour bombardment, Moscow attacked Kyiv, Lviv, japanese Dnipro, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv with 158 drones and missiles together with hypersonic, ballistic and cruise missiles, Ukrainian air forces stated.

The assaults left a minimum of 144 individuals injured, together with youngsters, and lots of left buried below rubble. Within the capital, Kyiv, air defence methods had been triggered as explosions set hearth to residential buildings and warehouses.

In line with the Ukrainian air drive, the earlier greatest assault was in November 2022 when Russia launched 96 missiles. “Russia attacked with every part it has in its arsenal,” Volodymyr Zelensky stated on the Telegram messenger.

Inside hours, the UK authorities introduced it was sending Kyiv lots of of British-made air defence missiles, as ministers condemned Russian “barbarity”.

Defence secretary Grant Shapps stated Russian president Vladimir Putin’s “newest wave of murderous airstrikes are a determined and futile try and regain momentum after the catastrophic lack of lots of of 1000’s of conscripts and forward of the humiliation of his three-day warfare coming into a 3rd calendar 12 months”.

He added: “We proceed to face by Ukraine’s defence, which is why right now we’re sending lots of of air defence missiles to restock British-gifted air defence methods able to hanging down Russian drones and missiles with unimaginable accuracy.”

Mr Shapps stated Mr Putin was testing Ukraine’s defences and the West’s resolve. “Ukraine’s degradation of the Russian Black Sea fleet has confirmed it’s nonetheless on this battle to win,” he stated.

“Right this moment’s air defence bundle sends an plain message, within the face of Russian barbarity that the UK stays completely dedicated to supporting Ukraine.”

Mr Putin had reportedly “ordered revenge raids” after Ukrainian missiles destroyed a Russian warship in occupied Crimea.

Photographs posted by a Crimean Telegram channel present the Novocherkassk touchdown ship within the southeastern port of Feodosia showing to be fully destroyed within the early hours of Tuesday.

A Ukrainian partisan group claimed that Mr Putin was “fully livid” following the assault and ordered raids all through the town.

“The flywheel of repression is spinning up… Since yesterday, native residents have been raided all through the town, their smartphones are being taken away and their homes are being searched,” the Atesh group posted on Telegram.

“It’s reported that Putin is totally livid over the destruction of the Novocherkassk giant touchdown ship. An order was issued to punish the Crimean air defence forces. It’s anticipated that many commanders shall be eliminated and despatched to the entrance to take part in assault teams.”

Russia has not but commented on Friday’s assaults.

Ukraine’s international ministry stated they proved there may very well be no discuss of a truce with Moscow.

“Russia isn’t contemplating another situations than the entire destruction of Ukraine,” the ministry stated in an announcement.

Ten individuals in Kyiv had been trapped below rubble at a warehouse broken by falling particles and one was confirmed lifeless, metropolis mayor Vitali Klitschko stated.

5 individuals had been killed within the central area of Dnipro, the place missiles hit a maternity ward, a purchasing centre, a non-public dwelling and a six-storey residential constructing.

Within the Black Sea port metropolis of Odesa, three individuals had been killed and a minimum of 15 had been wounded, together with two youngsters, as missiles hit residential buildings, the regional governor stated.

Kharkiv within the northeast was rocked by 22 Russian strikes, which broken a hospital, residential buildings and an industrial facility, in response to the native authorities.

Different fatalities occurred in Lviv, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, marking a devastating evening for Ukraine after 22 months of brutal warfare.

The power ministry reported energy outages in 4 areas after the air assault amid fears of Russian strikes pounding energy grids this winter.

Ukraine has been warning for weeks that Russia may very well be stockpiling missiles to launch a significant air assault on the power system. Final 12 months, hundreds of thousands of individuals had been plunged into darkness when Russia attacked the facility grid.

Ukrainian officers have urged the nation’s Western allies to offer it with extra air defences to guard itself in opposition to aerial assaults like Friday’s. Their appeals have come as indicators of warfare fatigue pressure efforts to maintain assist in place.