Russia launched a second wave of missiles into Ukraine on Saturday, driving residents to flee as sirens wailed across the country just hours after air attacks destroyed crucial infrastructure in Kyiv and Kharkiv, news agency Reuters reported.
Authorities in Mykolaiv, Lviv, and Odesa, on the Black Sea, reported air defences were attempting to shoot down approaching missiles. Explosions were heard in the centre Vynnytsa region, according to the Ukrainian national channel Suspilne.
Since October, Moscow has been attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure with missiles and drones, creating widespread blackouts and interruptions to central heating and running water as winter approaches.
The second strike occurred hours after Reuters journalists heard a series of bangs in Kyiv in the morning before the air raid siren sounded, which is extremely unusual. The amount of damage or casualties caused by the second wave was unknown, as per the report.
No one was reported injured as a result of the initial wave, but missile debris started a fire in one location and damaged houses outside the city, Reuters reported citing officials.
"An infrastructure facility was hit. No critical damage or fire. All emergency services are working at the site. No one is wounded," according to a statement issued by Kyiv's military administration.
The wreckage of a missile landed on a non-residential area in Kyiv's Holosiivskiy neighbourhood, causing a fire but injuring no one, according to the city's mayor, as stated in the report.
Residential infrastructure was also damaged in the village of Kopyliv, which is located just outside of the capital. The blast broke or damaged the windows and roofs of 18 privately owned houses, according to regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba.
According to Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat, Russia's missiles were most likely launched from the north on a high, looping ballistic trajectory, which would explain why the air raid alarm did not ring, the report said. He told the online publication Ukrainska Pravda that Ukraine is unable to identify and shoot down ballistic missiles.
(With Inputs From Agencies)