Airstrikes in the capital, Kiev talks about the timing of the counterattack, Russian Wagner forces withdraw from Bakhmut

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said multiple explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital on the morning of May 28, adding that authorities were clarifying the situation and that air defense systems were shooting down targets in the air.

Quân nhân Ukraine cùng đội trinh sát điều khiển máy bay không người lái trên tiền tuyến gần thị trấn Bakhmut, vùng Donetsk, ngày 8/5. (Nguồn: Getty)

Ukrainian servicemen and a reconnaissance team operate a drone on the front line near the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on May 8. (Source: Getty)

On the Telegram app, Mr. Klitschko said: "Information is being clarified. Details will be announced later. Air defense forces are operating in the area, a target has been shot down."

Several explosions were heard after air raid warnings in Kiev and other parts of Ukraine, Reuters witnesses said.

Previously, on May 27, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said that a counter-offensive to "reclaim territory" could begin "tomorrow, the day after or in a week".

However, Mr. Danilov warned that: “The Ukrainian government has no right to make a mistake in this decision because this is a historic opportunity that we cannot lose.”

As Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Mr. Danilov is a key figure in President Volodymyr Zelensky's cabinet.

In a rare interview with the BBC , Mr Danilov also confirmed that some mercenary forces from Russia's Wagner military group were withdrawing from the city of Bakhmut, the scene of the fiercest fighting to date.

According to the same official, this force is "regrouping in three other locations" and "does not mean they will stop fighting us".

Ukraine has been planning a counter-offensive for months. However, Kiev wants as much time as possible to train its army and receive military equipment from its Western allies.

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