Russia targeted Ukraine’s capital and other cities across the country with drones and missiles early Saturday, killing at least four people and wounding a dozen others, Ukrainian officials said.

Air raid alarms were still sounding as emergency workers rushed to search for the dead and wounded – a common practice in a country that has been hit by Russian air strikes for nearly three years.

The Ukrainian Air Force said four missiles and 39 drones were used in the attack, adding that two ballistic missiles were fired in the vicinity of Kyiv, the capital.

In Kyiv, the explosion broke a water main near the center of the city, sending water across the streets around the front of the Lukyanivska metro station. Nearby was a car on fire, smoke was still coming out and two burnt bodies were inside.

As the fire raged inside an industrial building across the street, other firefighters were trying to haul away debris in front of a heavily damaged McDonald’s. Others were looking at the giant glass, rubbish and barricades covering the road near the metro station – often a place where people find protection from attacks.

As searchers walked up and down the street, wading into the water to search for pieces of mud, local shopkeepers tried to pass through the police corridor.

“It’s very scary because the place is being attacked again and again. Some things are removed, but some are always gone. “It’s always scary, especially since my husband has a shop here,” said Yana, 30, who only gave her first name. “It’s just scary. There is no peace at all. We came to see if everything was okay, and thank God, everything is okay. We are very happy and relaxed. “

The missile strikes came after Ukrainian security forces spent hours tracking and attempting to shoot down drones in the air over the country’s mainland.

Russia uses drones for all its air defense forces, and for months, it has sent dozens of drones into Ukraine almost every night. Most are “dummy” drones, unarmed, intended to disrupt air defense forces monitoring 24 hours a day.

Kyiv strives to reserve its most advanced defense systems for anti-submarine and ballistic missiles, which are dangerous and expensive to manufacture.

Another flight alert had just ended in Kyiv shortly before 6 a.m. when the noise was heard throughout the city. Seconds later, air raid sirens began to wail.

Explosions were also reported in other parts of Ukraine.

In Zaporizhzhia, in the south, at least 10 people were injured, including one seriously, when they ransacked the property. The city has been hit hard recently, including a strike this month that killed 13 people and injured at least 110 others, according to Ukrainian government officials.

The United Nations says there will be a 30 percent increase in civilian casualties in 2024 compared to 2023, as Russia seeks to beat Ukraine to victory.

Saturday’s attack came a day after Russian airstrikes struck the city of Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine, killing four. people and destructive buildings.

“Every act of terrorism is another reminder of who we are fighting against,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said after the attack in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih. “Russia will not stop itself. It will only be stopped by collective pressure. The pressure of everyone in the world who values ​​life.”

Ukraine has been developing its own military equipment and long-range drones to fight back. In recent weeks, it has stepped up its campaign to target oil and gas facilities inside Russia.

The operation continued on Saturday, when fires were reported at oil storage facilities in the Tula region, south of Moscow, and the Kaluga region, about 100 miles southwest of Moscow.

Liubov Sholudko contributed reports from Kyiv.