Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv overnight into Saturday killed at least nine people and injured more than two dozen others, local officials said. The attacks damaged residential buildings, sparked fires across the city, and left people trapped under debris, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
At least nine killed, 28 injured in Kyiv strikes
Ukraine’s state emergency service reported that the strikes struck five regions of Kyiv, killing nine people and wounding 28 others, including four children. In the Darnytsky district, seven people were killed and 14 wounded, while two people died and eight were injured in the Solomiansky district after a five-storey residential building was partially destroyed. A residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district was also partially destroyed, trapping people inside.
More than a dozen explosions were heard across the city during the attack, with fires breaking out in multiple areas and power cuts reported in some neighborhoods. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that several people remained trapped in partially collapsed buildings.
Ukraine reports shortages of Patriot missile interceptors
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia launched 35 missiles, including 27 ballistic missiles and 185 drones, during the attack. Only one ballistic missile was intercepted, as Ukraine has run out of interceptors for its US-made Patriot air defense systems. Zelenskyy emphasized the urgency of receiving additional interceptors, noting that every package of missiles saves lives and that the lack of interceptors results in more casualties.
Zelenskyy also accused Russia of diverting Patriot interceptor supplies to the US military and Gulf allies amid the Iran conflict, further straining Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian infrastructure, including oil facilities and logistics sites, in recent months, while Russia has intensified its strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
Russia denies targeting civilians; Ukraine strikes Russian oil infrastructure
Both Moscow and Kyiv have denied intentionally targeting civilians in the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of February 2022. Russia’s defense ministry claimed the strikes targeted military-industrial and logistics facilities in Kyiv. Meanwhile, Ukraine has conducted retaliatory strikes inside Russia, including hitting three oil refineries in the Bashkortostan region and other targets supporting Moscow’s war effort.
Separately, Ukraine reported sinking a Russian-owned container ship in the Black Sea on Saturday, with Moscow confirming the attack but stating all 17 crew members were rescued. The ship, Yanina, was transporting civilian goods including frozen food and construction materials, according to Russia’s state-owned nuclear operator Rosatom.
Escalation follows deadly attacks on civilians
The latest strikes come two days after a Russian ballistic missile and drone barrage across Ukraine killed at least eight civilians, including six members of one family in a village near Kryvyih Rih. A Russian missile also briefly entered Polish airspace during that attack. The United Nations reported that June was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022, with Moscow intensifying long-range strikes on towns and cities.
Ukraine has faced a chronic shortage of air defenses capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which travel at several times the speed of sound. The country relies heavily on US-made Patriot systems, but supply constraints have limited their effectiveness. Ukrainian officials continue to press allies for additional air defense support as the conflict enters its fifth year.