Kiyv: A day after President Volodymyr Zelensky declared he would return from a European tour with a restocked arsenal, Russian drones and ballistic missiles attacked Ukraine's capital early on Tuesday in what the defence forces called an exceptionally complex strike.

The eighth attack on the capital this month, which occurred on Tuesday, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration, involved drones, cruise missiles, and likely ballistic missiles launched "from different directions simultaneously."

The busy Solomyansky neighbourhood of Kiev, which houses the international airport, sustained the most damage as a result of a fire that started in a non-residential structure.

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Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on Telegram that three people were hurt in Solomyansky and that a leafy outer suburb, Obolonsky district, was hit by missile debris.

The most recent attack on Kyiv comes after Zelensky secured a number of new pledges for the delivery of arms from Berlin, Paris, and London. This attack deepens the military alliance between the West and Ukraine, which has helped put Russia on the defensive.

Zelensky tweeted on Monday night that he was "returning home with new defence packages" following his quick tour of the major capitals of Europe.
Gains have already been made near the flashpoint of Bakhmut, and it is widely believed that Ukrainian forces are getting ready for a long-awaited counteroffensive against Russian forces.

Although UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Monday that plans were being made to open a flight school to train Ukrainian pilots, Zelensky has yet to achieve his coveted goal of enlisting Western fighter jets to seize control of the skies.

In addition, France has offered to train Ukrainian fighter pilots, but President Emmanuel Macron disallowed the dispatch of aircraft to Kiev.

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Additionally, while China, a close ally of Russia, has sent an envoy to Kyiv this week in an effort to serve as a peace mediator, Washington has expressed displeasure over Moscow's alleged attempt to purchase additional drones with Iran, a military partner.

According to John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council, "This is a full-scale defence partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to the region in the Middle East, and to the international community," more sanctions will soon be announced.

Zelensky visited France, Germany, and the UK on Monday after starting his tour in Italy to increase military support to help his troops become more combat-ready.

While Germany said it was preparing a new military package worth 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion) — its largest yet for Ukraine — France offered dozens more light tanks and armoured vehicles.

Zelensky secured the promise of hundreds more air defence missiles and long-range attack drones at the UK prime minister's country estate of Chequers outside of London on Monday.

He stepped off a Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter and gave Sunak a bear hug while wearing his signature fatigues. He stated that the crisis was crucial for "security not only for Ukraine, but also for europe 

Putin's war of aggression may have its front lines in Ukraine, but there are global fault lines, according to Sunak.

In response to the West's first deployment of long-range missiles for Ukraine, Russia declared that the new UK weapons would only lead to "further destruction" and claimed to have shot down a Storm Shadow cruise missile that Britain claimed to be providing last week.

Although the timing and strategy of Ukraine's high-stakes counteroffensive are still unknown, Zelensky's trip to the capitals of Europe highlighted how crucial it is to acquire Western heavy weapons and ammunition.
After months of stalemate, the fighting on the ground appears to be about to intensify.

According to Kyiv, Kherson's southern region came under "massive enemy attack," which led to the destruction of several homes.

In the meantime, seven people were hurt in an explosion in Russian-controlled Lugansk, including a senior official who was installed in Moscow and a teenager, according to local authorities.

More than ten Russian positions on the outskirts of Bakhmut, the scene of a bloody control struggle that erupted nearly a year ago, have reportedly been taken by Ukrainian forces.

Two Russian military commanders, according to Russia, were killed in fighting nearby the town.
 Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the private Wagner mercenary group in Russia, once more accused the Russian army of inaction near Bakhmut.

He did, however, dismiss as "laughable" a Washington Post report that claimed he had provided Ukraine with information on Russian troop positions in exchange for a break for Wagner forces in January.

Russia announced Monday that it had dispatched a Su-27 fighter jet over the Baltic Sea to intercept two aircraft, one German and one French, which Moscow claimed had tried to "violate" its airspace. This move was seen as another sign of tensions with the West.

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The Russian fighter (jet) returned safely to its air base after diverting the foreign military aircraft away from the Russian Federation state border, according to a statement from the Russian defence ministry.

High-ranking Chinese diplomat Li Hui will begin a two-day visit to Kyiv on Tuesday as efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict continue, a Ukrainian government official told AFP. Chinese President Xi Jinping was criticised for not denouncing Putin's war when he visited Moscow in March.