Russia fired a large-scale missile and drone barrage at Kyiv overnight into Saturday, killing nine people and damaging Lithuania's embassy along with 18 residential buildings and a school. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces intercepted only one of 27 ballistic missiles Russia launched, blaming a shortage of Patriot interceptors.
Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight into Saturday, killing nine people and injuring at least 30, while also damaging Lithuania's embassy in the capital, Ukrainian and Lithuanian officials said.
Patriot interceptor shortage lets missile through
Zelenskyy said Russia fired 27 Iskander-type ballistic missiles at Ukraine, of which air defenses intercepted only one. According to Reuters, he said the shortage left Ukraine unable to stop the rest of the barrage, "simply because there are no interceptors for the Patriot system".
Homes, a school and city districts damaged
The strikes hit 18 residential buildings, a school and several infrastructure facilities in Kyiv, with the Dnipro, Sumy, Kharkiv and Poltava regions also targeted. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said fires were reported across five districts, with residential and commercial buildings damaged or destroyed. Separately, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office said damage was recorded in seven districts across the city of about three million people after Saturday's attack.
Ukrainian prosecutors said seven people were killed in the Darnytskyi district and two more died in the Solomyanskyi district. Dozens more were injured, including four children who suffered shrapnel wounds and lacerations.
Lithuania's embassy hit by two missiles
Two missiles landed near Lithuania's embassy in Kyiv, one about 10 metres from the building and the other roughly 150 metres away, the country's foreign ministry said. No embassy personnel were injured, but windows were shattered, solar collectors were damaged and debris landed across the grounds.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said his government would summon a representative of Russia's embassy to protest the incident. He also called for continued military support for Ukraine and increased sanctions pressure on Moscow aimed at bringing Russia to negotiations.
Ukraine renews plea for air defenses
Saturday's assault was the second major attack on Kyiv this week, after strikes on Thursday killed nine people, including six members of one family near Kryvyi Rih, and a suspected Russian cruise missile landed in Poland. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha renewed calls for urgent air-defense supplies, saying a stronger air shield over Ukraine would bring the country closer to peace.
Russia's defence ministry said its forces targeted facilities used to manufacture, store and transport missiles, drones, radar systems and electronic-warfare equipment; its claims could not be independently verified. Moscow also said it struck two vessels carrying military cargo to a Ukrainian port south of Odesa and intercepted 274 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and the Azov and Black seas. The scale of the attack is likely to intensify Ukrainian calls for additional Patriot interceptors and other air-defense equipment.
Sources: Investing.com (Economy News), Investing.com/Reuters (Stock Market News)
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