Russian forces launched an attack using ballistic missiles and drones, resulting in at least 17 deaths, as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that interceptors ‘could have saved lives.’

Deadliest Attack on Kyiv in Months

This was one of the deadliest strikes on Kyiv and the capital region this year, occurring after midnight on Wednesday, and At least 45 people were injured after residential buildings, a railway station, and warehouses were hit.

Ukraine has consistently urged its allies for more US-made Patriot missile interceptors to defend against Russian ballistics; However, no interceptors were reported to have been used during the overnight attack.

Zelensky highlighted that delays in receiving anti-ballistic systems from partners result in ‘horrific casualties and destruction.’ He also mentioned that the supply of interceptors from allies had been ‘significantly reduced’ this year.

Targets and Casualties

The Russian defence ministry stated it had struck logistics hubs and supply centres in Kyiv and the surrounding region, which were involved in the storage, delivery of various weapons and military supplies, as well as in the production and distribution of unmanned aerial vehicles.

And, the ministry claimed it had hit three cargo vessels ‘which were transporting weapons and military equipment’ near the Black Sea port of Odesa.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko expressed concerns that people could be trapped under rubble. Ukraine’s emergency services confirmed one person had died in the city of Kyiv and at least 16 injured, with a further 16 dead and 29 injured in the wider region.

Fires were still being extinguished in five locations across the region on Wednesday, covering an area of approximately 230,000 sq m.

The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia had launched 24 ballistic missiles and four anti-ship missiles during the attack on the capital — And, 115 drones were launched, with 98 of them intercepted by air defence systems.

Wider Attacks and Responses

Regional governors reported Russian attacks across other parts of the country in the last 24 hours, including the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kharkiv regions.

Russia has intensified attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks, while Ukraine has also increased its attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure, including power facilities.

Dmitry Milyaev, the governor of Russia’s Tula region, stated that a drone had crashed into a warehouse of e-commerce giant Wildberries in the region overnight and caused a fire. One person was injured, with no deaths reported; the retailer said firefighting teams were working at the site, and the facility had been evacuated pre-emptively.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted warehouses, including those operated by Wildberries; Five people were killed and 10 wounded in the Moscow region on Tuesday morning in the most recent strikes on warehouses.

The day before, Russian officials said seven people were killed and 58 injured after a drone hit a busy beach in the southern Krasnodar region.

Ukraine expressed outrage over a video showing a man chased by a drone in Kherson, calling it a deliberate ‘hunt’ and ‘safari’ targeting civilians, as Both sides have denied deliberately targeting civilians.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU had received €1.4bn (£1.2bn) from immobilised Russian assets, which would be used to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.