War in Ukraine: massive Russian attack on kyiv and Lviv, violation of Polish airspace… update on the situation

Le point sur la situation. Roman Petushkov/Xinhua News Agency/Newscom/MaxPPP – Roman Petushkov

Tous les jours, Midi Libre fait le point sur la situation en Ukraine. Ce dimanche 24 mars 2024, découvrez les dernières actualités autour de ce conflit.

Massive Russian missile and drone attack on kyiv

Russia launched air attacks on Sunday March 24 against Kyiv and the Lviv region in western Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitchko said on Telegram that explosions were heard in the capital after the region's military administration said air defense systems were repelling an attack.

Ukrainian air defense units destroyed around ten missiles launched from Russia towards Kyiv and its surroundings, Serhi Popko, head of the military administration of the Ukrainian capital, said on Telegram. No casualties or significant damage were reported immediately, he said.

"For the third time this week, shortly before dawn, an air alert was issued in Ukraine and (the population) was called to take shelter", Bridget Brink, US ambassador to Ukraine, said early Sunday on the social network did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainian media reported on Telegram that during a major attack on Lviv, Russian missiles flew near the border with Poland. Lviv Mayor Andri Sadovy said on Telegram that no attacks had targeted the city, but that some 20 missiles and seven drones had been launched against the Lviv region, targeting people"critical infrastructure".

Russia violates Polish airspace for 39 seconds

One of the missiles fired by Russia towards the Lviv region this Sunday violated Polish airspace, the Polish armed forces said.

"On March 24 at 4:23 a.m. (03:23 GMT), Polish airspace was violated by one of the missiles of cruise launched overnight by the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation", they said on X.

"The object entered Polish space near the town of Oserdow (Lublin Voivodeship) and remained there for 39 seconds", added the armed forces. "During the entire flight, it was observed by military radar systems".

The Polish Foreign Ministry indicated that it would seek explanations from Russia for the airspace violation.

Poland calls on Russia "to stop terrorist air attacks against the inhabitants and territory of Ukraine, to put an end to war and resolve the country's internal problems", the ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

Ukraine says it hit two Russian ships in strikes in Crimea

The Ukrainian military said it hit two large Russian landing ships in strikes early Sunday on the annexed Crimean peninsula, as well as a communications center and other infrastructure used by the Russian fleet of the Black Sea.

She did not specify how these strikes were carried out but a regional official installed by Moscow reported a major Ukrainian attack and declared that air defenses had shot down more than ten missiles above the port of Sevastopol, Crimea.

"The defense forces of Ukraine managed to strike the large landing ships Azov and Yamal, a communications center and several infrastructure of the Russian Black Sea fleet in temporarily occupied Crimea", Ukrainian army said.

According to Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvojaïev, a 65-year-old man was killed by shrapnel falling on houses. Mikhail Razvojaev said earlier on Sunday that transport infrastructure, including boats and buses, had been partially damaged, and that the windows of five boats had been broken.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify the extent of the damage from the attack.