In brief
Overnight Russian missiles struck eastern suburbs of Kyiv, claiming three lives, including a child, and wounding three more. Local officials cited a growing shortage of interceptor missiles as Ukraine struggles to defend its skies. President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for more US‑made Patriot systems, while criticised the US for backing off the promised licence to produce them. In the broader conflict, Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian infrastructure, signalling a harder line in the ongoing war.
At least three people, including a child, were killed in overnight Russian ballistic missile strikes on the eastern outskirts of Kyiv, local officials said.
The attack also injured three others. The head of the regional military administration said the missiles struck the eastern suburbs of the capital, leaving significant damage to civilian infrastructure.
These strikes come just days after a separate wave of attacks that killed 21 civilians, underscoring a worsening shortfall of Z.U. interceptors used by Ukraine’s air defence.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has again pleaded on the international stage for more US‑made Patriot interceptors, arguing that the supply the country has received so far is insufficient to protect the skies.
Zelensky’s appeal follows a recent move by U.S. President Donald Trump to appear to backtrack on a promised licence for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles, though the president still referenced a potential agreement with the U.S. in his brief.
The U.S. has been reducing direct military aid to Kiev, leaving Ukraine to rely on European allies to procure expensive U.S. systems and then donate them. Zelensky has warned that Ukraine cannot afford the resources Russia wields to finance its war, and that additional funding for domestic production remains essential.
Earlier in the week, Zelensky noted that the flow of interceptors from allies had been “significantly reduced” during the current year.
In related events, Ukrainian forces have increased their offensive reach, targeting Russian oil refineries deep in enemy territory and aiming to curtail Russia’s revenue streams that fund its aggression. This escalation raises the risk of spill‑over into neighbouring countries, adding to the overall urgency of the air‑defence crisis in Ukraine.
