At least three people have been killed and 40 others injured after a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks hit kyiv, as Ukraine continues to face a shortage of air defense missiles.
According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, residential buildings, warehouses, a children’s hospital and a school were among the structures damaged in the overnight attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the deaths highlighted the country’s urgent need for more air defense systems and interceptor missiles from its Western allies.
“Every additional missile saves the lives of our people,” Zelensky said, warning that Russia would continue its attacks as long as Ukraine lacked sufficient protection against ballistic missiles.
kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko also called for greater international support, saying Ukraine needed ammunition and anti-missile systems.
The attacks began around midnight, with air raid sirens sounding across the capital before a series of explosions hit several parts of the city. Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched 168 drones and 44 missiles during the attack.
READ ALSO: APC’s Fadahunsi bows to pressure, apologizes for ‘kill the Agreement’ comments
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 146 drones and 39 cruise missiles, but the country’s air force said none of the Russian ballistic missiles used in the attack had been intercepted.
The strikes also caused power outages in parts of the kyiv region, as emergency workers searched among damaged buildings for survivors.
Among those affected was Valeria Bondaruk, who moved to kyiv with her 13-year-old daughter after their home in southern Ukraine was destroyed. He hoped the capital would be safer, but his new home was severely damaged in the latest attack.
Another resident, Anastasiia Kovtun, said she and her partner escaped to a shelter shortly before their apartment building was attacked.
“It’s so scary when you realize it’s your home and you never think you’ll be next,” she told the BBC.
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko said the country was “absolutely unprotected” against ballistic missile attacks without enough interceptor missiles.
Ukraine has relied heavily on American-made Patriot air defense systems to counter Russian ballistic missiles. However, supplies have become increasingly limited, leaving kyiv more vulnerable to large-scale attacks.
The latest attacks come as Zelensky faces growing political pressure at home. Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for wartime elections and criticized the government for corruption and governance, arguing that such problems have affected the country’s ability to wage war.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had attacked Ukrainian military facilities and warehouses.
Moscow also reported large-scale Ukrainian drone attacks. Russia said 726 Ukrainian drones had been shot down in several regions, while Romania reported that one drone had crossed its territory before crashing in an uninhabited area. Poland also said it had launched defensive air operations to protect its airspace.
The latest escalation comes despite limited progress toward a ceasefire. Both Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of carrying out attacks that endanger civilians.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
(BBC News)
WATCH THE BEST VIDEOS FROM Newslodge TV