Russia says Ukraine at fault for missile 'falling' on Kyiv residential building

Russia's defence ministry on Monday denied responsibility for a missile that hit a Kyiv residential building over the weekend, saying it was likely caused by a failure of Ukraine's air defence system. Missiles struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv for the first time in weeks on Sunday.

Russia's defence ministry on Monday denied responsibility for a missile that hit a Kyiv residential building over the weekend, saying it was likely caused by a failure of Ukraine's air defence system.

Missiles struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv for the first time in weeks on Sunday. Ukraine said an apartment block and a site close to a kindergarten were hit, with U.S. President Joe Biden saying the attacks were more evidence of Russia's "barbarism" in its offensive against Ukraine. In a statement, the Russian defence ministry said on Monday it had fired four missiles that hit their target, an arms factory in Kyiv.

However, the ministry said it believed a Ukrainian Buk missile defence system by mistake intercepted a Ukrainian-fired S-300 air defence missile which then "fell on a residential building." "The regime in Kyiv attempted to intercept Russian high-precision missiles with anti-aircraft weapons stationed in the city," the defence ministry said.

Instead, "due to the lack of coupling of air defence systems and radio equipment launchers located in urban areas, two S-300 anti-aircraft missiles were shot down in the air by Ukrainian Buks. Presumably one of the downed anti-aircraft missiles fell on a residential building." Moscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilian areas, in what it calls a special military operation, despite widespread images of destroyed residential buildings and a U.N. estimate that at least 4,731 civilians have been killed since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion.