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Ukrainians endured overnight hell as Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks, sparking a response from Nato.
Nato members are on high alert after Russia unleashed deadly airstrikes on Ukraine near its doorstep.
Poland, a key member of the military alliance on its eastern border, scrambled fighter jets through the attacks as a preventative measure.
People took cover in Kyiv and the encircling areas after missiles and suicide drones bombarded the Ukrainian capital, hitting several residential buildings.
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At the very least 11 people were killed in Kyiv and the neighbouring region, while 46 were hurt.
A missile plant is assumed to have been hit, resulting in secondary blasts.
Putin’s army used 68 missiles and 351 drones in last night’s assault, in accordance with the Ukrainian air force.
Poland’s armed forces operational command commented on the overnight response: ‘As a result of the activity of the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, which strikes the territory of Ukraine, military aviation has begun operations in Polish airspace.
‘Fighters began the operation, and ground air defence systems and radio-location recognition have reached alert.’
An urgent evacuation was ordered in Vyshneve in Kyiv region amid a threat of more detonations and toxic smoke on the Zhulyansky Machine-Constructing Plant Vizar, which caused ‘coughing and headaches.’
Hours earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky said intelligence indicated an enormous strike ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin was imminent.
‘Russia desires to bring more evil and kill people. Please stay protected and heed any air raid alerts,’ he warned Ukrainians.
Despite the warnings, dozens of individuals were caught out, with reports that a whole family, a mum, dad and son, were killed in a single neighbourhood.
Kyiv Roshen Confectionery Factory, owned by former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, and the town’s hydroelectric power station were among the many targets.
Several Ukrainian regions are said to be without power after the Russian airstrikes, including Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv.
Russia’s show of force and aggression comes a day before Nato leaders are attributable to meet in Ankara for a high-level summit on Tuesday.
The military alliance has faced headaches brought on by the protracted Russia-Ukraine conflict and the US-Iran war.
Tensions have been growing between Nato and the US president, Donald Trump, who usually threatens to drag America out of the alliance.
Meanwhile, the Russian army is feeling the brunt of the invasion of Ukraine since February 2022, making it increasingly harder for Putin to cover the impact of the war at home.
As much as 450,000 Russian soldiers have been killed for the reason that war began, while Ukraine has seen between 125,000 and 150,000 fatalities, in accordance with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
It said: ‘Russian fatalities in Ukraine are greater than 4 times greater than all US fatalities in all wars combined since world war two.’
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