Summary

  • President Zelensky says Russia launched drone and missile attacks across Ukraine "all night and all morning" trying to "terrorise" civilians

  • Four people have been killed - including a pregnant woman - after Kyiv was hit by "kamikaze drones", authorities say

  • And four people have died after a rocket attack in the north-eastern Sumy region, the governor there says

  • The capital reverberated to the rattle of gunfire in the morning as anti-aircraft batteries tried to shoot down the drones

  • At least 19 people were killed in a wave of Russian missile strikes on the capital a week ago

  • Meanwhile, a Russian military jet has crashed near a residential building in Russia - engine fire caused the incident according to Moscow

  1. Drones and missile attacks seen across Ukraine, Zelensky sayspublished at 10:01 British Summer Time 17 October 2022

    Russian kamikaze drone and missile strikes have hit all of Ukraine over the last few hours, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

    Writing on Telegram, he says "all night and all morning, the enemy terrorises the civilian population" and confirms a residential building in the capital Kyiv has been hit.

    Quote Message

    The enemy can attack our cities, but it won’t be able to break us. The occupiers will get only fair punishment and condemnation of future generations. And we will get victory."

  2. Sunflower oil tankers set alight after drone strikepublished at 09:56 British Summer Time 17 October 2022

    Sunflower oil tankers on fire with smoke plumes billowing above themImage source, State Emergency Service Of Ukraine

    It appears not just Kyiv has been hit by drones attacks, after tanks with sunflower oil in a major Black Sea port were set on fire by strikes overnight.

    The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Senkevich, confirmed the cooking oil tankers at a port terminal began to burn after Iranian-made drones attacked.

    Senkevich said nine drones had been shot down by air defence, but three had been able to hit industrial targets - including the oil tanks and a pharmaceutical warehouse.

    All the fires have since been extinguished, he confirmed.

  3. No place for Russia in G20 - Ukrainian presidential adviserpublished at 09:53 British Summer Time 17 October 2022

    Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo PodolyakImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Mykhailo Podolyak opposes Russia's membership of G20

    Following the latest attack on Kyiv, Russia should be removed from the Group of 20 major economies, says Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.

    "Those who give orders to attack critical infrastructure to freeze civilians and organise total mobilisation to cover the frontline with corpses cannot sit at the same table with leaders of [the] G20, for sure," he tweeted.

    He added: "Time to put an end to Russian hypocrisy. The [Russian Federation] must be expelled from all platforms."

  4. Kyiv resident shelters from drones flying overheadpublished at 09:43 British Summer Time 17 October 2022

    One resident of Kyiv has told BBC News about her experience this morning, after being woken up by the sound of explosions near where she lives.

    Kseniia says after she and her husband were woken, they fled to their corridor, as it is the safest place in their flat to shelter as there are no windows.

    She explains that, for two hours, they heard blasts and "the noise of the drones flying over our building almost constantly".

    "Believe me, once you hear the sound of a rocket flying over your building or a drone flying over your building, you can tell the difference, you can feel the difference," she says.

    Kseniia adds rockets sound "more like a whistle", while the kamikaze drones sound more like a massive motorcycle flying over your building.

  5. Another wave of attacks on Ukrainepublished at 09:25 British Summer Time 17 October 2022

    Kyiv's mayor shared a photo of what he said were fragments of a kamikaze drone on TelegramImage source, Telegram/ Klitschko
    Image caption,

    Kyiv's mayor shared a photo of what he said were fragments of a kamikaze drone on Telegram

    Today's blasts come a week after Russia launched a series of "revenge strikes" for what President Putin called a "terrorist attack" on Russia's bridge to Crimea.

    Today, Kyiv reverberated to the rattle of gunfire as anti-aircraft batteries frantically tried to shoot them down. Two drones exploded close to the city centre, with sirens and car alarms heard across the area.

    What's being targeted is hard to determine. The mayor's office says residential and non-residential buildings have been hit. Railway officials say explosions were seen close to Kyiv's main station.

    One Reuters journalist reported seeing fragments of a drone used in the attack that bore the words "For Belgorod" - a Russian city near the border with Ukraine which the Kremlin accused Ukraine of targeting with missiles.

    Last week, 19 people lost their lives across Ukraine as missiles rained upon settlements and cities alike.

    Central Kyiv locations such as playgrounds and tourist spots were hit. The western city of Lviv and its surrounding region were left without power, and water supplies were disrupted across the country.

  6. Russia ramps up 'kamikaze drone' attackspublished at 09:06 British Summer Time 17 October 2022

    Paul Adams
    Reporting from Kyiv

    Exactly a week after Russian missile and drone attacks across the country, Kyiv residents woke to the sound of explosions in the city centre.

    It’s hard to know how many so far. The mayor says four, but others say five or six.

    Last week, the city was attacked with ballistic missiles. Today, it's drones.

    Russia has made increasing use of Iranian-made "kamikaze" drones in recent weeks.

    The low buzzing of these slow-moving weapons is becoming a familiar sound across the country.

    The city reverberated to the rattle of gunfire as anti-aircraft batteries frantically tried to shoot them down. Video circulating on social media appeared to show one interception.

    A Ukrainian in Kyiv fires at a droneImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A Ukrainian in Kyiv fires at a drone

    What's being targeted is also hard to determine. The mayor's office says residential and non-residential buildings have been hit.

    Recent attacks have targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. It will be surprising if that’s not also the case today.

    The government is warning people to stay in shelters, but the streets are far from deserted.

    Between the first and second set of air strikes, plenty of people seemed to be going about their Monday morning business.

    Ukrainians have made so many adjustments to their lives already this year, as the war has shifted from one phase to another.

    As winter approaches, they're making some more.

  7. Welcomepublished at 08:56 British Summer Time 17 October 2022

    Welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. It's 236 days since Russia invaded the country.

    This morning, several explosions caused by kamikaze drones were reported in Kyiv. The strikes left residential buildings damaged.

    A week ago, the capital was hit by Russian missiles at rush hour, part of nationwide attacks which left 19 dead.

    We will be following developments as the day progresses - do stay with us.