Residents in Kyiv are being urged to ‘temporarily evacuate the city’
Following the brutal Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital on Friday morning, the Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko is urging residents to leave the city.
Kyiv has around four million residents and has had multiple attacks since the war started on 24 February 2022.
There has been a grim warning that over the coming days a there could be a “potentially significant air attack that may occur at any time.”
Russia attacked the capital with 36 missiles and 242 drones leaving almost 6,000 residential buildings with no power or heating at a time when temperatures have fallen below -10C.
The Ukrainian Air Force has reported that the surrounding areas of the capital are being used as primary targets which has also seen energy infrastructure being hit leaving at least four killed and 19 injured.
Klitschko said, “We are doing everything we can to resolve this as quickly as possible. However, the combined attack on Kyiv last night was the most devastating for the capital’s critical infrastructure.”
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He added, “I appeal to the residents of the capital, who have the opportunity to temporarily leave the city for places where there are alternative sources of power and heat, to do so.”
Hospitals and maternity wards have now all been reconnected to the power and now have heating, for residential buildings efforts are still ongoing.
Overnight the city of Lviv close to the Polish border was hit with a nuclear capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic (IRBM) missile.
On Friday the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has warned of a “potentially significant attack” across Ukraine over the next “several days.”
‼️ The ballistic missiles, with which the Russians attacked Lviv last night, was moving at a speed of 13,000 kilometers per hour, – PS
The strike was carried out from the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region. pic.twitter.com/76kJLKNVp8
— Shaun Pinner (@olddog100ua) January 9, 2026
The British Foreign Office issued the warning on Friday and said, “Martial law is in place.
Information has been received concerning a potentially significant air attack that may occur at any time over the next several days.
“Follow the instructions of the Ukrainian authorities and check any measures in place in your location, as they will vary by region.”
The Foreign Office are urging anyone who is in Ukraine to stay informed via local media, identify where bomb shelters are located and if an air raid siren is activated to immediately take cover.
