Russia has launched a large-scale assault on Ukraine, firing ballistic missiles and waves of drones at major cities, with explosions rocking Kyiv and Dnipro in the early hours of February 12.

Ukraine’s Air Force issued urgent alerts warning that ballistic missiles were approaching Kyiv from the north and east. Air raid sirens sounded across the capital as residents were urged to seek immediate shelter, The Caspian Post reports via Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko's message in Telegram.

Around 2:20 a.m. (GMT+2), multiple loud explosions were reported in several districts of Kyiv. Klitschko said critical infrastructure was among the targets and called on residents to remain in shelters as emergency services responded across the city.

Explosions were also confirmed in Dnipro, where regional authorities said an attack had been recorded. Emergency crews were deployed to assess potential damage and casualties. Officials warned that the threat could persist and advised residents not to leave safe locations until further notice.

Earlier, Russian forces reportedly carried out a large drone strike on Odesa and surrounding areas, damaging infrastructure and a business center.

Military analysts note that ballistic missiles pose a particularly serious danger due to their high speed and steep flight paths, which make interception far more challenging. Air defense systems such as Patriot and SAMP/T are considered among the few capable of countering such threats over densely populated areas.

The latest wave of attacks comes as Ukraine continues to face sustained strikes on its energy infrastructure. Ukrainian officials say recent bombardments have knocked out up to 10 gigawatts of power generation capacity, with some facilities unlikely to be fully restored before the next winter heating season.