Russia's recent missile and drone attacks on Kyiv have killed at least 21 civilians and injured 56, prompting urgent calls from Ukraine for more American-made Patriot interceptors. The strikes, which occurred early Monday, also caused significant damage to residential buildings, leaving first responders to search through rubble for victims.
Ukrainian officials stated that the barrage, which damaged about 30 buildings across the capital, underscored a critical shortage of air defense systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. According to Ukrainian authorities, the military was unable to shoot down any of the 23 missiles fired at Kyiv on Monday. This incident follows another deadly Russian strike earlier in the week that killed 31 people in the capital.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly appealed to allies, particularly the United States and European partners, for additional Patriot missiles. He emphasized that these systems are essential for protecting civilian lives and that their scarcity emboldens Russia to continue its attacks on residential areas. Zelensky made these remarks ahead of a NATO summit where he was expected to discuss security cooperation.
"As long as Patriot missiles sit in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep ‘destroying ‘vanquishing’ residential buildings," Zelensky wrote on X. "The U.S. and Europe have the power to stop this terror."
The Ukrainian air force reported intercepting 37 other missiles and over 90% of the 351 drones launched during Monday's strike. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for the "massive" strike, stating it had retaliated for recent Ukrainian long-range drone attacks on Russian territory.
In retaliation for Russian strikes, Kyiv's military announced on Monday that it had targeted three Russian oil refineries, including a major facility in Omsk, and two Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov. According to United Nations figures, more than 16,000 Ukrainians have been killed in the conflict to date. Ukraine's use of long-range drones has been noted as a factor influencing the war's momentum.