Russia fires missiles at kyiv as Crimean train derails
Ukrainian authorities have not claimed responsibility for a train derailment on the occupied peninsula, but this is the latest in a series of explosions hitting railway tracks and supply lines of Russian war machine.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down dozens of Russian missiles in the sky over Kiev early Thursday, throwing flaming debris over the Ukrainian capital on the same day an explosion derailed a Russian freight train in Crimea, the latest in a series of explosions in territory occupied by Russia.
The Russian train operator said "unauthorized persons" were behind the derailment, suggesting an act of sabotage. Ukrainian authorities, who often neither confirm nor deny responsibility for incidents in Crimea or Russia, have claimed no role in the derailment.
The missile attack and the explosion in Crimea comes as Russia and Ukraine prepare for a widely anticipated Ukrainian offensive aimed at retaking occupied lands. In anticipation of the campaign, Russia fired volley after volley of missiles - Thursday was the ninth attack on Kiev this month - in a long-term effort to demoralize civilians and keep Ukraine's air defenses away from the front. .
And the explosion in Crimea matches a pattern of strikes on Russian railways, supply lines, fuel depots and ammunition stores which analysts call a Ukrainian push to cripple the Russian war machine and sow instability ahead of the offensive.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 29 of 30 missiles fired at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian army announced on Thursday. Debris from a destroyed missile caused a fire in a Kiev neighborhood, but there were no injuries, according to Serhiy Popko, the city's military administrator.
"A series of air attacks on Kiev, unprecedented in its power, intensity and variety, continues," Popko said on Telegram.
The missile that slid through Ukrainian defenses hit an industrial infrastructure site at the southern port of Odessa, city officials said. One civilian was killed and two others were injured, according to the Ukrainian army's southern command.
Kiev in particular has come under attack after attack in recent weeks. Russian and American officials had said that week that a Patriot missile system, protecting the city from ballistic missiles, was damaged in an earlier barrage, but US officials said the system remains operational.
Ukraine has sought to pressure Russian forces both in contested areas - making recent gains in the grueling battle for the town of Bakhmut - and away from the front lines. Russian authorities and their proxies have reported a series of explosions and attacks in recent weeks, including a series of train blasts.
The derailment in Crimea on Thursday caused no injuries but interrupted rail service between two cities, Simferopol and Sevastopol, according to Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor. The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said eight cars had derailed, citing a Crimean transport minister.
Video verified by The New York Times showed that the train had derailed on the outskirts of Simferopol. It was not immediately clear if the train was moving at the time.
Crimea plays an important role in supplying Russian troops in occupied territories and holds
Ukrainian authorities have not claimed responsibility for a train derailment on the occupied peninsula, but this is the latest in a series of explosions hitting railway tracks and supply lines of Russian war machine.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down dozens of Russian missiles in the sky over Kiev early Thursday, throwing flaming debris over the Ukrainian capital on the same day an explosion derailed a Russian freight train in Crimea, the latest in a series of explosions in territory occupied by Russia.
The Russian train operator said "unauthorized persons" were behind the derailment, suggesting an act of sabotage. Ukrainian authorities, who often neither confirm nor deny responsibility for incidents in Crimea or Russia, have claimed no role in the derailment.
The missile attack and the explosion in Crimea comes as Russia and Ukraine prepare for a widely anticipated Ukrainian offensive aimed at retaking occupied lands. In anticipation of the campaign, Russia fired volley after volley of missiles - Thursday was the ninth attack on Kiev this month - in a long-term effort to demoralize civilians and keep Ukraine's air defenses away from the front. .
And the explosion in Crimea matches a pattern of strikes on Russian railways, supply lines, fuel depots and ammunition stores which analysts call a Ukrainian push to cripple the Russian war machine and sow instability ahead of the offensive.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 29 of 30 missiles fired at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian army announced on Thursday. Debris from a destroyed missile caused a fire in a Kiev neighborhood, but there were no injuries, according to Serhiy Popko, the city's military administrator.
"A series of air attacks on Kiev, unprecedented in its power, intensity and variety, continues," Popko said on Telegram.
The missile that slid through Ukrainian defenses hit an industrial infrastructure site at the southern port of Odessa, city officials said. One civilian was killed and two others were injured, according to the Ukrainian army's southern command.
Kiev in particular has come under attack after attack in recent weeks. Russian and American officials had said that week that a Patriot missile system, protecting the city from ballistic missiles, was damaged in an earlier barrage, but US officials said the system remains operational.
Ukraine has sought to pressure Russian forces both in contested areas - making recent gains in the grueling battle for the town of Bakhmut - and away from the front lines. Russian authorities and their proxies have reported a series of explosions and attacks in recent weeks, including a series of train blasts.
The derailment in Crimea on Thursday caused no injuries but interrupted rail service between two cities, Simferopol and Sevastopol, according to Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor. The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said eight cars had derailed, citing a Crimean transport minister.
Video verified by The New York Times showed that the train had derailed on the outskirts of Simferopol. It was not immediately clear if the train was moving at the time.
Crimea plays an important role in supplying Russian troops in occupied territories and holds
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