Ukraine: Russia launches air attacks on Kyiv and Lviv

Russia launched missiles and drones on Kyiv and the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, not far from the border with NATO-member Poland, Ukraine's military said on Wednesday.

This comes just a day after Russia hit a military institute in Ukraine's central town of Poltava with two ballistic missiles in the war's deadliest single attack this year, killing 50 and wounding hundreds more.

On Wednesday, Reuters witnesses heard several blasts on the outskirts of Kyiv and Lviv in what sounded like air defense systems in operation. Ukraine's military officials said its defense units were engaged in repelling the attacks.

"Yes, it's very loud," Lviv Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said on the Telegram messaging app.

Residential buildings have been damaged in the city of Lviv, which is the administrative center of the broader region, Kozytskyi added.

Neighboring Poland activated aircraft on Wednesday for the third time in eight days to ensure the safety of Polish airspace.

"This is another very busy night for the entire air defense system in Poland due to the observed activity of the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation carrying out strikes," the Command said on X.

Russia has been pounding Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones in the past ten days in what some Russian military bloggers say is Moscow's response to Kyiv's recent incursion into Russian territory.

Russia is yet to comment on the attacks on Poltava and Wednesday strikes on Lviv and Kyiv. Moscow has often said that its strikes target Ukraine's military, energy, and transport infrastructure, not civilians.

The whole of Ukraine was under air raid alerts since about 0100 GMT on Wednesday, Ukraine's air force said on Telegram.

It also issued threat warnings of fresh attacks on the Lviv region involving missiles.

Reuters