Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine overnight have killed at least four people and wounded 16 others, local officials said.
Two people were killed and nine wounded in a ballistic missile attack on the capital Kyiv in the early hours of Saturday, said Timur Tkachenko, head of the city military administration.
Three of the wounded were taken to hospital, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
A fire broke out in a non-residential building in one location, while debris from intercepted missiles fell in an open area at another site, damaging windows in nearby buildings, the emergency service added.
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“Explosions in the capital. The city is under ballistic attack,” mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote during the onslaught.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were killed and seven wounded, acting regional governor Vladyslav Haivanenko said, adding that apartment buildings, private homes, an outbuilding, a shop and at least one vehicle were damaged.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched nine missiles and 62 drones, and air defences intercepted four missiles and 50 drones.
Russia’s defence ministry said its own air defences shot down 121 Ukrainian drones over Russia overnight.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that such attacks intensify Ukraine’s need for Patriot defence systems.
“It is precisely because of such attacks that we pay special attention to Patriot systems — to be able to protect our cities from this horror. It is critical that partners who possess relevant capability implement what we have discussed in recent days,” he wrote on social media.
“America, Europe and the G7 countries can help ensure that such attacks no longer threaten lives,” he added.
He is hoping Ukraine can purchase 25 Patriots from the US to fortify its air defences, particularly in cities.
Mr Zelensky urged the US on Friday to expand sanctions on Russian oil from two companies to the whole sector, and appealed for long-range missiles to hit back at Russia.
He was in London for talks with two dozen European leaders who have pledged military help to shield his country from future Russian aggression if a ceasefire stops the more than three-year war.
The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region said on Saturday that Ukraine had struck a dam on a local reservoir, causing damage.
In a statement on Telegram, Vyacheslav Gladkov said that repeat strikes on the dam could risk flooding, and advised residents of parts of two border settlements, Shebekino and Bezlyudovka, to leave their homes for temporary accommodation. Belgorod region borders Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region.
There was no immediate comment from Kyiv.
Separately, Russia’s defence ministry said that its forces had downed 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, including seven that were flying towards Moscow.
Ukraine has in recent weeks mounted a major campaign of strikes on Russian energy infrastructure that has taken up to a fifth of Russia’s refining capacity offline.
Friday’s talk in London, which were hosted by British prime minister Keir Starmer, aimed to step up pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin, adding momentum to recent measures that have included a new round of sanctions from the US and European countries on Russia’s vital oil and gas export earnings.
The talks also addressed ways of helping protect Ukraine’s power grid from Russia’s almost daily drone and missile attacks as winter approaches, enhancing Ukrainian air defences, and supplying Kyiv with longer-range missiles that can strike deep inside Russia. - AP and Reuters
