Russian forces launched new massive air attacks on kyiv and other regions of Ukraine at dawn on Sunday March 24, leading the Polish army to raise its alert level in the face of intense military activity near its border.

A Russian cruise missile launched against towns in western Ukraine violated Polish airspace before leaving it, the country's army said on Sunday.

For the third time in a week, the entire Ukrainian territory was placed on alert overnight from Saturday to Sunday. This alert lasted two hours in the capital, according to Serguiï Popko, head of the kyiv military administration.

He claimed that the Russian army attacked the capital using Ukrainian cruise missiles fired from Tu-95MS strategic bombers.

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Ukrainian defense "shot down about a dozen enemy missiles over Kiev and in the vicinity of the capital," Mr. Popko wrote on the social network Telegram, specifying that according to preliminary information, there were neither casualty or damage.

Russian missiles and Iranian-made Shahed explosive drones also fell on the Striï district, south of the western city of Lviv, according to regional governor Maksym Kozytskiï.

“The target is critical infrastructure,” said Lviv Mayor Andriï Sadovy, who counted around 20 missiles and seven drones.

Polish aviation “activated”

The Polish army said on Sunday that a Russian cruise missile violated Polish airspace for around 40 seconds before leaving.

“The object flew into Polish space near the village of Oserdow (east) and remained there for 39 seconds,” detailed the operational command of the armed forces on service observed by military radars throughout the flight.

“The Polish army constantly monitors the situation on Ukrainian territory and remains on permanent alert to ensure the security of Polish airspace,” the army further indicated.

Following this incident, "all necessary procedures to ensure the security of Polish airspace have been activated. Polish and allied aviation, among others, have been activated," the operational command of the armed forces further declared. in his press release.

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In December, Poland, one of kyiv's most loyal allies, had already denounced the flight over its territory for three minutes by a Russian cruise missile launched towards Ukraine.

Russia also claimed on Saturday evening to have repelled an attack by ten Ukrainian missiles targeting the city of Sevastopol in Crimea, a peninsula annexed in 2014 by Moscow, its governor said.

Crimea is regularly targeted by the Ukrainian army using missiles and drones because of its importance for the logistics of Russian forces occupying southern Ukraine. 

With AFP

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