Nine killed in Russian strike on Kyiv as Zelenskyy warns of Patriot interceptor shortage
A Russian overnight attack on Ukraine killed nine people and injured 22, with Kyiv as the main target. President Zelenskyy says only one ballistic missile was intercepted because Patriot stocks are depleted, and urges allies to supply more.
Russian forces launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine, killing nine people and wounding 22 others, Ukrainian authorities reported. The capital, Kyiv, was the primary target, but strikes also hit the Dnipro, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions. The Russian defence ministry described the assault as a "massive strike" on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities and logistics centres.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attack, saying Russia is intensifying its air attacks and terror against civilians. The overnight barrage followed a similar Russian missile attack two days earlier that killed 10 people and injured more than 50 across Ukraine. Moscow appears to be exploiting Kyiv's shortage of Western-supplied air defence systems.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy provided stark details of the challenge. In a post on X, he said Russia launched 35 missiles, including 27 ballistic missiles, and 185 attack drones. Kyiv managed to shoot down only one ballistic missile, he said, because interceptor missiles for US Patriot systems had been depleted. He argued that this shortage encourages Russia to continue deadly attacks and appealed to allies to deliver more Patriot interceptors urgently, stressing that each additional missile saves lives.
Zelenskyy also said he spoke this week with US Vice-President JD Vance and discussed his meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, which he described as "positive and productive."
Elsewhere in Europe, more than 300 firefighters were battling a fast-moving wildfire near the Greek coastal resort of Porto Germeno, about 70km north-west of Athens. Strong winds drove the blaze to the shoreline, and homes were reported damaged. Greece is one of several countries, including France and Spain, experiencing major wildfires amid extreme heat and drought.
Meanwhile, the migrant crisis at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta has become deadlier. The Spanish government raised the death toll to 67 after tens of thousands of migrants entered from Morocco this week. Spain plans to install a barrier extending into the sea to deter crossings. Foreign Minister José Albares said practically all who entered have returned to Morocco, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez blamed trafficking gangs for encouraging the dangerous crossings. France and Italy have also reinforced border controls in response.
