KYIV - Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and its Odesa region early on Wednesday, killing one civilian and causing fires and destruction at the Danube River port of Izmail, Ukraine’s military said.

During a nearly three-hour drone attack on Odesa, several agricultural and port facilities were damaged and several fires were reported in Izmail, one of Ukraine’s key grain exporting ports, said Mr Oleh Kiper, Odesa’s governor.

“An employee of an agricultural enterprise, who was seriously injured, died in the hospital,” he said.

Ukraine’s air defence systems destroyed 23 out of the 33 air weapons Russia launched. They included 25 Iranian-made Shahed drones, seven cruise missiles and one Iskander ballistic missile, Ukraine’s Air Force said.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

Russia also launched missiles at Kyiv early Wednesday, though Ukrainian air defence systems shot them all down, the capital’s military administration said.

“Another missile attack by the enemy on a peaceful city,” Mr Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Reuters’ witnesses in Kyiv heard several blasts which sounded like air defence systems being deployed at around 5.50am when air raid alerts were issued across Ukraine before being called off about an hour later.

There was no immediate damage or casualties reported in Kyiv.

In its 18-month long war against Ukraine, Russia has frequently launched air attacks on Kyiv and other places in Ukraine far from the frontline. REUTERS