Ukraine repels major missile and drone attack on Kyiv

The attack began shortly after midnight. Pic/AP

Ukrainian officials said air defenses shot down 20 Iranian-made drones fired by Russia mostly at the Kyiv region early Thursday morning, but wreckage fell on four districts of the capital, wounding two people and destroying several homes.

The latest barrage by the Kremlin's forces began shortly after midnight, and explosions shook different parts of the city. Two people were hospitalized with shrapnel wounds, authorities said. In the capital, rescuers extinguished a fire in a 16-story building, as well as in a non-residential building, the Interior Ministry said. Debris also damaged the frontage of a 25-story apartment building, it said.

The Ukrainian military said it also intercepted two Russian cruise missiles. The statement said one ballistic missile was not intercepted, although it did not explain what damage the missile caused. Russian missile and drone strikes have become a grim part of everyday life in Ukraine over the almost 17 months of the war.

Thousands of Ukrainians held in Russian prisons

Thousands of Ukrainian civilians are being detained across Russia and the Ukrainian territories it occupies, in centers ranging from brand-new wings in Russian prisons to clammy basements. Most have no status under Russian law.

Russia is planning to hold possibly thousands more. A Russian government document obtained by The Associated Press dating to January outlined plans to create 25 new prison colonies and six other detention centers in occupied Ukraine by 2026.

In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in May allowing Russia to send people from territories with martial law, which includes all of occupied Ukraine, to those without, such as Russia. This makes it easier to deport Ukrainians who resist Russian occupation, which has happened in multiple cases.

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No of Iranian-made drones fired by Russia towards Kyiv on Thursday

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