Zelenskyy calls for more air defences as Russian attack on Kyiv kills at least 17

Wanderstayfinder.com – Volodymyr Zelenskyy has blamed allies for not delivering air defences fast enough after Ukraine failed to shoot down a single Russian missile in a deadly overnight attack that killed at least 17 people and ⁠injured dozens more. Preliminary data from the Ukrainian air force showed its defences shot down 98 of the 115 drones fired by Russia overnight, but no ballistic missiles. “Ballistic missile interceptors could have saved the lives of those killed today,” the Ukrainian president said on social media.

“It is very important that our partners understand that delays in supplying them, or an unwillingness to provide anti-ballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction.” There is a global shortage of US-made Patriot interceptor missiles after demand soared with the Ukraine and Iran wars. Supplies of air defence missiles for Ukraine in the first half of this year fell to a third of their 2025 level, Zelenskyy said. Kyiv has been pleading for months for more Patriot interceptors while under intensifying attack.

Last month Donald Trump suggested the US might grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriots, but later he appeared to backtrack, telling reporters the underlying technology was “a hard thing to give away”. Ukraine’s military administration said seven sites were hit in Wednesday’s assault that began after midnight. Zelenskyy said the main targets were civilian facilities, including a brewing company, construction materials warehouses and a railway station.

Zelenskyy wrote on X: “Partners who are not yet ready to play a more active role in supplying interceptors can help by implementing new sanctions. A significant share of Russia’s ballistic missile production is still not under sanctions. Even now.

“New steps are needed – from the G7, the European Union, and everyone who supports the protection of life. Thank you to those who are willing to help in this way.” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on social media on Wednesday that Moscow had committed more atrocities in its “illegal war”. “Once again we wake up to the news of horrible atrocities by Russia through its aerial attacks on Ukraine.

Russia must pay for the destruction it has caused,” she said. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, accused Russia of choosing to target civilians. “This policy of terror, carried out with missiles and drones, is unacceptable,” he said.

“Each new attack reinforces an obvious truth: Russia must pay the price for its aggression and answer for its crimes.” He added that the EU would implement new sanctions while “strengthening military support for Ukraine so that it can defend itself and protect its population”. Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said there may still be people under the rubble left by the attack on the city. Rescuers pulled two people from the ruins of a warehouse near the city centre.

An ambulance driver was among the injured and four people were in a critical condition, Klitschko added. He ‌said the attack set off fires in warehouses and storage areas. A ​large fire broke out on the city’s outskirts and debris from a fallen missile landed beside a residential building.

Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day after newsletter promotion The Kyiv military administration said the attack caused an ammonia leak that emergency crews were tackling. Witnesses heard explosions throughout the city. One journalist reported dark smoke and the acrid smell of burning lingering in the air hours later.

Natalia Reutska, who lives in Kyiv, told Agence France-Presse: “The night was so terrifying, so hard. We’ve gotten used to waking up thinking: ‘We were lucky today’, and that’s very scary.” Russian attacks on Kyiv also struck Epicentr, Ukraine’s largest home improvement and DIY retail chain. Two key logistics facilities and a factory were destroyed within minutes.

The Russian defence ministry said it hit logistic hubs and supply centres in Kyiv and surrounding areas, claiming they were for being used for military purposes. Russia’s military has a history of striking civilian targets in Ukraine and committing atrocities. Officials in Ukraine were also monitoring Russian advances in the east.

On Wednesday, authorities ordered hundreds of families with children to leave the stronghold city of Kramatorsk because of intensifying Russian strikes. “This is a difficult but necessary decision,” said the Donetsk region governor, Vadym Filashkin. “The security situation is deteriorating, so it is unacceptable to leave children under the constant threat of Russian attacks.” Kramatorsk is one of the major cities Russia has not yet captured in the eastern Donetsk region​, but Moscow’s forces are close by.

On Tuesday, Ukraine hit Russian logistics hubs for the online retailer Wildberries, adding to ​more than a dozen ​it had attacked.