Russia striking Kyiv with ballistic missiles, after Zelensky warned of ‘massive attack’

By Svitlana Vlasova, Victoria Butenko, CNN

Kyiv (CNN) — Russia has launched missiles toward Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, the Ukrainian Air Force said early Thursday local time, in a move that comes just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Moscow was preparing a “massive attack.”

In addition to ballistic missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital, Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih were also under attack, the air force said.

After an initial wave of attacks, the air force said “more ballistic missiles” were flying toward Kyiv.

“The threat of further attacks remains,” Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, urging people to stay in shelters.

Videos posted on social media showed families sheltering in crowded Kyiv metro stations, some bedding down on the floor beneath blankets or inside small tents.

The news comes just hours after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had received a report from the Ukrainian Air Force that Russia was preparing a “massive attack” on all regions of the country.

“There is a high probability that the strike will be carried out tonight,” Zelensky said.

The attacks come a day after Zelensky met US President Donald Trump at the White House and asked him to provide additional air defense systems to help defend against Russian attacks.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Jonny Hallam contributed to this report.