KYIV, Ukraine – Russian missile strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region killed at least 17 people and injured dozens overnight, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that critically low air defense interceptor supplies are leaving the country increasingly vulnerable to ballistic missile attacks.
The two-hour barrage highlighted mounting pressure on Ukraine’s air defense network after months of intensified Russian missile campaigns. Zelenskyy said Ukraine failed to intercept any of the ballistic missiles launched during the attack because of shortages of interceptor missiles for U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems.
Ukraine considers the Patriot system its most effective defense against ballistic missiles and has repeatedly appealed to Western partners, particularly the United States, to accelerate deliveries of interceptor missiles.
Zelenskyy also renewed calls for domestic production of Patriot ammunition and urged greater support for long-range strike capabilities, including expanded access to Starlink satellite communications to help target Russian missile launch sites.
Ukraine has not disclosed how many Patriot interceptors remain in service. Following another Russian missile attack last week, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces intercepted only one incoming ballistic missile because “there are no missiles for the Patriots.” He also said deliveries of interceptor missiles during the first half of 2026 had fallen to roughly one-third of the level received in 2025.
Ukraine Links Rising Civilian Deaths to Air Defense Shortages
Zelenskyy argued that additional interceptor missiles could have prevented many of Wednesday’s casualties.
“Ballistic interceptors are what could have saved the lives of those killed today,” he said in a social media statement.
He added that delays in supplying anti-ballistic missile systems, or decisions not to provide them, directly contributed to the number of deaths and the scale of destruction.
■ Related News
According to Ukrainian officials, Russian missiles struck civilian businesses, including a brewery, a construction materials warehouse and a Nova Poshta mail sorting facility.
Russia’s Defense Ministry rejected that account, saying the facilities were connected to Ukraine’s military logistics network.
Kyiv Regional Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko declared Thursday a day of mourning. Ukrainian authorities said 17 people were killed and at least 44 others were injured.
Ukraine and Russia Offer Conflicting Accounts
Kyiv and Moscow presented sharply different descriptions of the overnight strikes.
Ukrainian officials said Russian forces targeted civilian warehouses, logistics centers, industrial businesses and commercial facilities with no military role.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it struck transport, logistics and distribution centers supporting Ukraine’s armed forces, including four facilities in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy’s adviser, Serhii Beskrestnov, said the damaged sites included retail warehouses, food storage facilities, logistics hubs, industrial enterprises and construction materials warehouses.
Those competing claims could not be independently verified.
Ukraine Expands Long-Range Drone Campaign
As diplomatic efforts led by the United States remain stalled, Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone strikes against military and industrial targets inside Russia.
Ukrainian officials said the campaign is intended to increase pressure on Moscow while President Zelenskyy continues to support an unconditional ceasefire proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, which Ukraine says Russian President Vladimir Putin has not accepted.
Among the latest targets was a warehouse belonging to Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, in the Tula region south of Moscow.
Ukraine says it has struck more than a dozen Wildberries facilities in less than three weeks, alleging the company supplies goods that can support Russia’s military.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses destroyed 475 Ukrainian drones overnight across 16 Russian regions, as well as over occupied Crimea and the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
Russia Reports Scale of Overnight Assault
Ukrainian officials said Russia launched:
- 24 ballistic missiles
- Four Zircon or Onik cruise missiles
- 115 attack drones
Officials said many of the drones were jet-powered, making them more difficult to intercept because of their higher speed.
Russia said its strikes targeted transport and logistics infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s military.
Among the damaged sites was a Nova Poshta sorting center, which the company said was destroyed by a Russian cluster munition.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed the facility stored equipment used for drone production, robotic systems and electronic warfare equipment.
Moscow also said two additional logistics centers in the Kyiv region contained drones or drone components.
Separately, Russia claimed it struck three bulk carriers south of Odesa that it alleged were transporting military equipment. Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the claim.
Residents Describe Night of Explosions
Warehouse worker Mykhailo Hukov said air raid sirens warning of ballistic missiles sounded shortly after midnight, forcing workers to seek shelter.
He told The Associated Press they abandoned their belongings as they ran underground before hearing several powerful explosions.
Truck driver Ivan Braga, a Moldovan national, said he and a colleague escaped after shrapnel struck their vehicle.
“We didn’t even have time to grab our documents or anything else,” Braga said. “I’d already been in Kyiv and had heard explosions before, but nothing like today.”
Retail chain Epicentr said one of its logistics centers was destroyed within minutes. The company reported one employee killed and three others injured.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the facility handled dual-use goods and drone-related equipment.
Russian Drone Executive Injured in Car Explosion
In a separate incident, Russian state media reported that Vladimir Tkachuk, director of military drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, was seriously injured after his vehicle exploded Tuesday in Yekaterinburg.
Uraldronzavod manufactures the Upyr drone, a low-cost unmanned aircraft widely used by Russian forces because of its resistance to electronic jamming.
Russian authorities did not immediately comment on the cause of the explosion. Moscow has previously accused Ukraine of carrying out attacks targeting Russian military personnel and defense industry figures.
The latest attacks illustrate how both Russia and Ukraine continue expanding long-range strikes far beyond the front lines even as diplomatic efforts to halt the war remain at an impasse.
This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.
