Russia launched an overnight air attack on Kyiv, prompting a response from Ukraine’s air defense units, the city’s mayor said after Ukraine’s military said it struck a chemical plant in Russia’s Bryansk region.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said no casualties had been reported in the attack on Kyiv, which he said was carried out with ballistic missiles. The attack began late on October 21 as witnesses reported hearing explosions and air defense units in operation.
Emergency services were dispatched to several sites where debris from the destroyed air weapons fell, sparking fires.
A house caught fire in the region surrounding Kyiv, injuring an elderly woman, said regional Governor Mykola Kalashnyk on Telegram.
Authorities in southeastern Ukraine also reported attacks. Russian drones hit the city of Zaporizhzhya, igniting fires in several residential buildings, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.
An industrial town west of Dnipro was also targeted by Russian missiles and drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said. No damage or casualties were reported.
The Ukrainian attack on the chemical plant took place earlier in Russia’s southern Bryansk region. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on October 21 that Ukrainian forces used French-British Storm Shadow missiles in the attack.
“A massive combined missile and air strike was carried out, including with Storm Shadow air-launched missiles, which overcame the Russian air defense system,” the General Staff said. “The results of the strike are being assessed,” it added.
The General Staff described the chemical plant as an important component of the Russian military-industrial complex, producing gunpowder, explosives, components for rocket fuel, and “for ammunition and missiles that the Russian military uses to shell the territory of Ukraine.”
The Air Force launched the attack in cooperation with ground forces, the Navy, and other components of the Ukrainian defense forces.
Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Bryansk region, said on Telegram that Ukraine attacked the region with drones and missiles. He added that no one was injured, and no damage was reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that during the afternoon on October 21 its air defense units destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region.
