MISSILE ALERT
Nato warplanes scrambled as Putin fires wave of missiles towards Poland’s border in massive new onslaught on Ukraine
Residents gave chilling reports of the horrors they saw during the attacks
NATO warplanes were left scrambling as Vladimir Putin fired a terrifying wave of missiles towards Poland's border.
The latest chilling strikes are part of a massive new Russian onslaught on Ukraine thought to be one of the biggest since the war started.
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At least three F-16s were seen scrambling as Russia fired several missiles towards Poland's border with Ukraine, say reports.
Distressing footage of the attacks show a residential block in Kyiv ablaze as a fire ripped through the building.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said two people were killed in Kyiv and 10 others were wounded in the capital.
A third man was also killed in the southern city of Mykolaiv.
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Across Kyiv, over 20,000 people were left without electricity as they battled alongside emergency crews to clear away the rubble from buildings and put out fires.
Reports said Russia used 11 TU-95MS aircraft strategic bombers in the devastating attacks, alongside six TU-22M3 aircraft.
Ukrainian air defence forces said they destroyed 24 Russian missiles overall after the strikes.
A Ukrainian marine drone plant in Mykolaiv was hit alongside the viscous barrage of strikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk
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The Russian missiles were believed to be flying over Ukraine and heading towards Poland when they unleashed the ambush.
Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Poland said: "Intensive long-range aviation activity of the Russian Federation is being observed due to missile strikes on Ukrainian territory.
“All necessary procedures aimed at ensuring the safety of Polish airspace have been launched.”
Inside bomb-blitzed town on Ukraine's frontline where last survivors refuse to leave in last stand against Vlad's army
Nato continued saying that Poland was “constantly monitoring the situation”.
“We warn you that Polish and allied aircraft have been activated, which may cause increased noise levels, especially in the southeast area of the country," they went on to say.
Poland sent the three F-16s into the air after fears of a possible Russian threat, said Ukrainian media.
Smoke was seen rising from buildings in Kyiv after five explosions were heard across Ukraine's capital.
A nationwide air raid alert was sounded as warnings were sent round to residents to be aware of the damage done.
Harrowing pictures show the people of Kyiv hiding inside tube stations to stay safe as bombs went off around them.
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klychko said: "Explosions in the city. Air defence is working. Stay in shelters!
"An apartment building caught fire in Holosiivsky district. Firefighters and rescue unit are on its way to the scene.
“And in the Dnipro district of the capital, there are currently two injured people. Both were treated by medics on the spot.”
According to reports, a car repair shop was also hit by a blast.
The missiles entered Kyiv in several powerful waves coming from all different directions, said spokesman Sergei Popko.
Kyiv's US ambassador Bridget A Brink said: “Now in Kyiv and around the country, men, women, and children awoke to another massive Russian missile and drone attack.
“We rely on Ukraine’s air defence - and its heroic air defenders - to protect us all. There is no time to lose. Ukraine needs our security assistance now.”
Kharkiv was then also hit by at least four explosions that tore through the already blitzed city.
There are no words to describe what you feel then, just the whole body starts shaking. This is the state I am in, messaging you with my shaky fingers, not knowing if this might be my last message
Olena Kurylo
Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said: “We have information about non-residential area being hit. As for the injured, clarification is underway."
Olena Kurylo was forced to hide in her bathroom as the missiles exploded around her.
She told reporters moments after the blasts: “My phone is exploding with new missile alerts. My mind is numb with fear for my daughter and everyone in the city.
“I am trying to stay calm then another missile rushes right close to us, and I hear the whistle of death right close.
“There are no words to describe what you feel then, just the whole body starts shaking. This is the state I am in, messaging you with my shaky fingers, not knowing if this might be my last message.”
In Mykolaiv, reports said the Ocean plant - the spot where kamikaze sea drones are reportedly made - was targeted alongside a warehouse full of ammunition.
Missiles also hit Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk making the latest attack one of the worst since the war started.
Russia later claimed the strikes on residential buildings were down to Ukrainian air defences.
The latest on the Ukraine war
AFTER almost two years, the war in Ukraine continues to rumble on as fears of an all-out World War Three between Russia and the West keep on going.
Since the beginning of the war, Russia has lost approximately 385,230 personnel, 6,310 tanks, and 11,757 armoured combat vehicles, Ukrainian army officials said.
Putin's army also reportedly lost 9,195 artillery units, 974 multiple launch rocket systems, 663 air defence systems, 332 warplanes, and 324 helicopters.
The list goes on - 7,100 drones, 1,846 cruise missiles, 23 warships, 1 submarine, 12,231 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 1,452 units of special equipment.
As the tyrant is estimated to have seen more than 300,000 troops died since he declared war in February 2022.
Last week, Ukraine claimed to have sunk a Russian warship - with 50 sailors on board - using kamikaze sea drones.
Footage shared by Ukraine's ministry of defence showed the dramatic moment its boats sped toward Putin's £55million Black Sea missile ship "Ivanovets" and sent it up in flames.
In another major scalp for Ukraine, two of Putin's most crucial spy planes worth £290million were shot down last month.
One of the Russian dictator's £260million spy planes disappeared and a £30million bomber jet was set on fire after Ukrainian forces shot them out of the sky above the Azov Sea.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is set to receive their first large batch of long-range missiles built by Boeing and Saab.
The missiles will extend its range deep into Russian-held territory and will supplement its US-provided ATACM rockets.
However, despite Ukraine's success Russia has no plans to slow down in their assaults.
Earlier this week, Putin gathered 40,000 troops, 500 tanks and hundreds of howitzer artillery guns to unleash hell on Kupyansk.
On January 15, a leaked military report revealed Putin's possible step-by-step plan to bring the West to the brink of World War 3.
The secret docs detail the despot's possible "path to conflict" which reaches its climax in the summer of 2025 on "Day X" when half a million Nato and Russian soldiers will face each other.
According to reports, Putin is desperate to secure a significant victory before the rubber-stamp elections in March that are all but certain to secure his brutal reign over Russia until at least 2030.
This comes after Nato revealed plans for its largest military exercises since the end of the Cold War that will see 32 countries prepare for a Russian attack.
Steadfast Defender 2024 is now underway across thousands of miles of Europe as armadas, fighter jet fleets and 90,000 troops conduct land, sea, air, cyber and space operations.
In a sobering Nato briefing today, Assistant Chief of Staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Brigadier General Gunnar Bruegner said the "clock is ticking".
Without mentioning Russia by name, he said Nato must prove it is "ready" for any threats to its security.
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"Every exercise matters....the biggest picture is deterrence," the military chief added.
Bruegner's statements come amid a flurry of recent warnings from top military chiefs and policymakers over the threat of full-scale war with Russia in the coming years.
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