KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Russia launched an intense barrage of ballistic missiles and drones overnight into Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least nine individuals and injuring 33 civilians in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, according to local authorities.
This wave of strikes follows a significant Russian attack just two days earlier that resulted in at least 10 fatalities and over 50 injuries across Ukraine. Moscow is seemingly attempting to exploit Kyiv's critical shortage of Western-supplied anti-ballistic missile defenses. The ongoing attacks significantly hinder the chances of achieving a diplomatic resolution to Russia's more than four-year-long invasion of Ukraine.
Casualties and Damage in Kyiv
A five-story residential building in Kyiv's Solomianskyi District was severely impacted by falling debris, leading to a fire. Rescue teams evacuated 35 residents from the upper floors of the structure, with two fatalities and eight individuals injured, including two children, reported by Ukraine's state emergency service.
In the Darnytskyi District, seven people lost their lives, and another 14 were injured as the assault led to fires and extensive damage to nearby houses, vehicles, and both administrative and non-residential properties, according to emergency services.
Additionally, firefighters worked to extinguish a fire in a non-residential building located in Shevchenkivskyi district. Reports by the district's mayor mentioned that some individuals might have been trapped in a different residential building, but further details on this were unavailable.
The Lithuanian foreign minister stated that the country’s embassy in Kyiv suffered damage from missiles striking the vicinity overnight.
Russia's defense ministry declared a "massive strike" targeting "Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities and logistics centers in Kyiv."
Zelenskyy Calls for Increased Air Defense
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urging the United States and other Western allies for additional Patriot anti-ballistic missile defense systems to enhance Ukraine's capabilities against Russian missile attacks.
In a post on X following the recent attacks, Zelenskyy stated, "Every package of ballistic missile interceptors saves the lives of our people. And every night without them results in more casualties."
On Friday, Zelenskyy mentioned a conversation with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, where he discussed a recent meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, which was described as "positive and productive." The Ukrainian leader emphasized on Telegram that Russian airstrikes continued and securing interceptors for the Patriot systems remained a significant priority.
At a NATO summit in Ankara in July, Trump announced that the U.S. would allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot systems. However, he appeared to retract that commitment during a recent Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Maryland, indicating no final decision had yet been reached on the matter.
Residents Share Experiences of Frequent Attacks
Liudmyla Nakonechna, a 64-year-old resident, recounted her experience from a basement shelter during air alarms, stating that she was awoken by loud explosions at 1:30 a.m. She described an incident where a bathroom door was blown off its hinges and struck her leg.
Nakonechna, who has health issues from previous cancer treatments, noted the increasing frequency of attacks. "It's getting worse by the day," she lamented, highlighting that what used to be attacks once every two weeks or weekly had escalated to nearly daily occurrences, causing immense psychological strain.
Additional Developments
Meanwhile, a Russian airstrike in Kherson resulted in one death and five injuries, according to local officials.
In Russian-occupied Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-appointed head of Sevastopol, reported a drone strike that killed a 60-year-old woman and injured two others.
Ukrainian forces claimed responsibility for drone attacks on three Russian oil refineries in the republic of Bashkortostan. Zelenskyy noted that these refineries process millions of tons of oil each year and are located nearly 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) from Ukraine. Reports also indicated that a Ukrainian drone set an oil refinery in Ufa ablaze, amid ongoing long-range strikes targeting Russian oil facilities, which have led to a fuel crisis impacting the Kremlin.
Furthermore, Zelenskyy revealed that a sanctioned Russian container ship, Yanina, sank in the Black Sea after an attack by Ukrainian drones, labeling the ship as part of the "facilities that sustain the war effort." According to Russia’s state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, the vessel was transporting "civilian goods" such as frozen food and construction materials.
