Russian missile, drone strikes kill two and injure 19 in Ukraine
Ukrainian officials said Russia launched a large-scale attack involving missiles and drones on Saturday, targeting several areas, including Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv.
In Kyiv, 11 people were injured after Russia used ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones in the attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said civilian infrastructure was damaged before the air raid alert was issued.
“Civilian infrastructure was hit even before the air raid alert was issued,” Zelenskiy said, adding that rescue teams were working at the affected sites. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched six ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and 121 drones. It claimed that Ukrainian forces intercepted at least two cruise missiles and 111 drones.
Later, a missile strike in the southern port city of Odesa killed two people and injured another person, while a drone attack on a civilian facility in Kharkiv wounded seven people. Zelenskiy called on Ukraine’s allies to urgently provide additional air defence support, saying the country needs more weapons to counter Russian attacks.
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Ukraine has been facing a shortage of ammunition for its Patriot air defence systems and has struggled to intercept ballistic missiles in recent weeks. The Ukrainian president urged allies to speed up agreed defence projects after US President Donald Trump said Ukraine would be allowed to produce its own Patriot interceptor missiles.
Russia has intensified attacks on Kyiv and surrounding regions in recent weeks. Ukrainian officials said more than 60 people have been killed in strikes on the capital and nearby areas this month.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued targeting Russian military supply routes in occupied territories. Ukrainian drone forces chief Robert Brovdi said his units struck 21 fuel tanker vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight, along with seven other cargo and support ships. He said the latest strikes brought the total number of vessels hit by Ukrainian forces this week to 76.
