Ukraine's air defences repel Russian attack on Kyiv, says military

It came as a fire broke out at training grounds in annexed Crimea, prompting the evacuation of more than 2,000 civilians

Ukrainian armed forces fire a BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system towards Russian troops at a front line near the town of Avdiivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region on Tuesday. Reuters

Ukraine's air defence systems repelled an overnight Russian attack on Kyiv, as a fire broke out at training grounds in annexed Crimea, prompting authorities to order the evacuation of more than 2,000 civilians.

In Kyiv, blasts were heard while smoke was seen rising near the capital, Reuters reported.

In Crimea, no reason was given for the blaze, which also forced the partial closure of the major Tavridy Highway. But Russia's Telegram channels linked to Russian security services and Ukrainian media reported that an ammunition depot was on fire at the base after a Ukrainian air attack overnight.

"It is planned to temporarily evacuate residents of four settlements – this is more than 2,000 people," Russian-installed Governor Sergei Aksyonov of Crimea said on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia launched strikes on Ukraine's southern Odesa region, local governor Oleg Kiper said on Wednesday morning, in the second night of attacks since Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal.

Mr Kiper said there had been a “massive attack” and asked residents to stay in shelters. He did not give more details about the attack.

Ukraine's air force said it had detected the launch of Kalibr missiles from the Black Sea.

Air alerts were issued for more than a dozen regions across Ukraine.

Odesa is one of Ukraine's main ports for exporting grain.

The attacks followed Russia's vow that it would retaliate after a blast damaged a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday. An attack that Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

Shortly after the bridge was hit, Moscow withdrew from the year-old grain agreement.

“[They are] are trying to scare the whole world, especially those who want to work for the grain corridor … Ukraine, Turkey and the UN,” Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odesa military administration, said in a voice message on his Telegram channel early on Wednesday.

“But I think that all normal, rational people will look and say: Odesa was not afraid, is not afraid and will not be afraid – we will work.”

The UN said the move could create hunger around the world.

'Far from a failure'

On Tuesday, the top US general said Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia should not be called a failure.

“It is far from a failure. I think that it's way too early to make that kind of call,” said Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“I think there's a lot of fighting left to go and I'll stay with what we said before: This is going to be long. It's going be hard. It's going to be bloody.”

The US and other allies have spent months building Ukraine a “mountain of steel” of weaponry, as well as training its forces in combined arms techniques to help Kyiv pierce Russian defences during its counter-offensive.

Since Ukraine began its counteroffensive last month, Kyiv has recaptured some villages in the south and territory around the ruined city of Bakhmut in the east, but has yet to attempt a major breakthrough across heavily defended Russian lines.

Kyiv says it is deliberately advancing slowly to avoid high casualties on fortified defensive lines strewn with landmines, and is focused, for now, on degrading Russia's logistics and command.

Moscow has said the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed.