Footage of the missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine during Jake Sullivan’s visit
The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was the target of a heavy missile attack in the early hours of Thursday, for the first time in six weeks, just hours after US national security aide Jake Sullivan visited the city .
More than 25,000 people took shelter in the city’s subway stations during the attack, with videos and images shared on social media showing crowds huddled underground in images reminiscent of the early days of the war.
Authorities said Russia fired two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles at the Kyiv region – all of which they said were shot down. Tests will confirm exactly what types of missiles were fired, but an Air Force statement suggests it is possible the ballistic missiles were of North Korean origin.
Valentyna Ivanivna, an octogenarian living in Kyiv’s central Podil district, told CNN she was awakened at 5 a.m. by a loud explosion that shattered her windows.
“I don’t know if it was a missile or something, but now I have holes where windows used to be. I’m fine, but my kitchen and living room are now windowless. Luckily, I was sleeping in the bedroom, behind another wall, which saved me from being shattered,” she said.
Anastasia Shulha showed CNN the inside of her flower shop, which also had its main window blown out and its front door damaged.
“Actually, this is the second time my store has been attacked. The last time was last spring,” she said.
Pointing to the shop’s damaged door, she added: “Everything is wide open, and anyone could come in. I’m going to have to stay here until the window and door are replaced.”
Ruslan Kravchenko, head of the Kyiv region’s military administration, said no residential buildings or critical infrastructure had been hit – although images suggested at least one critical situation was averted.
Videos and images show a large crater just meters from high-rise residential buildings. An image shows nearby cars covered in dirt thrown up by the impact.
More than 25,000 people, including 3,000 children, sheltered in the city’s subway stations until just after 6 a.m., when the air alert was lifted, the city office said. Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky said the latest attack is a reminder of why he is pleading for more military support from allies.
“Russian terrorists do not have missiles capable of bypassing the defense of the [U.S.-made Patriots] and other world-leading systems. Now this protection is needed here in Ukraine. It is possible if our partners have enough political will,” he wrote on social networks.
An Air Force statement suggested the ballistic missiles were either the KN-23 type, an Iskander-M class missile made in North Korea, or the Kh-47M2 type, made in Russia and more commonly known as Kinzhal. Last month, a Ukrainian official said North Korean missiles had been used by Russia dozens of times to strike Ukraine.
US suspects North Korea of supporting Russia
U.S. and South Korean officials have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with missiles and other military equipment in recent months.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said during a White House briefing in early January that Russia fired North Korean-made missiles at Ukraine on Dec. 30 and Jan. 2.
Kirby and analysts who spoke with CNN said the introduction of North Korean weapons into the war in Ukraine will have repercussions as far as the Korean peninsula, 7,500 kilometers away. “This is a significant and concerning escalation of North Korea’s support for Russia,” Kirby said.
On February 26, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said that North Korean factories producing weapons for Russia were operating at full capacity. In return, Russia provides North Korea with food and other necessities, he said.
On Wednesday, Sullivan told reporters in Kyiv that he remained confident the U.S. House of Representatives would ultimately approve additional military aid for Ukraine despite it being blocked, in various versions, in Congress for months.
Last month, the U.S. Senate approved a supplemental bill that would have released $60 billion in military aid, but House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to bring it to a vote. Current discussions in Congress are apparently focused on trying to get at least some of the loan aid approved, which could gain support from House Republicans.
“We are confident that we will get a strong bipartisan vote in the House for a Ukraine assistance package and release these funds […] It has already taken too long… I am not going to make any predictions about when exactly it’s going to happen,” Sullivan said Wednesday, during the first visit by a senior White House official to Ukraine in six months.