Nighttime drone attack hits Kyiv as Putin heads to Belarus

Thick smoke rises between apartment houses from a burning infrastructure project hit during a Russian drone night strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, December 19, 2022. [AP Photo]

Multiple explosive drones attacked Ukraine's capital before dawn Monday, local authorities reported, as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to visit ally Belarus, which provided the Kremlin's forces with a launch pad for Russia's invasion of Ukraine almost 10 months ago.