Explosions rock Kyiv as Russia's mass daytime drone strike becomes large-scale missile attack

Prefer on Google by Abbey Fenbert, Volodymyr Ivanyshyn Illustrative image: Ukrainian military members of an air defense rapid response group track down Russian drones while on night duty in Kyiv Oblast on March 1, 2024. (Zinchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated. Read about Russia's daytime drone attack here . Russian missiles and drones rocked Kyiv overnight on May 14 as Russia launched a large-scale missile attack across Ukraine, extending a mass daytime assault into the late evening and early morning hours of the following day. Shortly before 1 a.m., Ukraine's Air Force issued a nationwide aerial alert, warning that Russia had launched MiG-31 bombers and that every region in the country was now at risk of ballistic missile strikes. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, later warned that many Russian drones were headed toward the capital and that missile strikes were also a possible threat. Explosions were heard in Ukraine's capital, a Kyiv Independent journalist on the ground reported at 3:08 a.m. local time, as many air defense systems worked to knock down Russian drones. Several rounds of ballistic missile explosions were then heard in Kyiv at 3:15 a.m. through 3:20 a.m. local time, according to reporters on the ground. The mass missile attack follows a day of relentless Russian drone strikes. In the afternoon of May 13, Russian forces carried out a prolonged combined attack on Ukraine's critical and civilian infrastructure, launching at least 800 drones in several waves. The strike targeted cities across Ukraine , including far-western regions rarely impacted by direct attacks. The daytime attacks killed at least 14 people and injured over 80 others, including children and teens. First responders were also injured in "double-tap" strikes. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia could follow the drone waves with missile strikes to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses and inflict "as much grief and pain as possible." The warning was based on information from Ukraine's military intelligence agency, HUR, who said Russian forces were planning to continue the attack with a significant number of air- and sea-launched cruise missiles, as well as ballistic missiles. Kremlin targets could include critical infrastructure and essential services in major cities, including energy facilities, defense industry enterprises, and government buildings, the agency said.