Ukraine lifts air raid alerts, says downed more than 30 missiles and drones

(Reuters) -Ukrainian authorities on Friday lifted air raid alerts across most of the nation, and officials in the capital Kyiv said defences appeared to have shot down more than 30 missiles and drones fired by Russia.

Moscow has launched around 20 separate missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities since the start of May.

Kyiv military authorities, writing on Telegram, said Russia had launched drones and cruise missiles at the same time.

“According to preliminary information, more than 30 air targets of various types were detected and destroyed in the airspace over and around Kyiv by air defence forces,” they said in a statement.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who earlier reported two separate waves of attacks, wrote on Telegram that there had been no calls for rescue services.

Ukraine regularly says its defences knock down the majority of Russia’s missiles and drones.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Shri Navaratnam and Tom Hogue)

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