Russia Strikes Kyiv, Killing At Least 13 As Ukraine Warns Of Air Defence Shortage

At least 13 people have been killed and 40 others injured after a fresh wave of Russian missile and drone strikes hit Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said.

The overnight attacks damaged residential buildings, warehouses, a school and a children’s hospital, while power supplies were also disrupted in parts of the capital.

The strikes began around midnight, with air-raid sirens sounding across Kyiv before explosions rocked several parts of the city.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said apartment blocks and other buildings were damaged, while emergency workers searched through the rubble for survivors.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia used 168 drones and 44 missiles during the attack. Ukrainian air defences reportedly destroyed 146 drones and 39 cruise missiles.

However, Ukrainian officials said the capital remains particularly vulnerable to ballistic missiles because of a shortage of interceptor missiles.

Ukraine Says Air Defence Shortage Is Costing Lives

President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed the shortage of air-defence missiles for the deaths and renewed his appeal to Western allies for additional support.

Ukraine relies heavily on American-made Patriot interceptor systems to defend against Russian ballistic missiles. However, supplies have reportedly become more limited as the United States has also used significant stocks during the war in the Middle East.

Zelensky said on Telegram: “as long as Ukraine does not have enough anti-ballistics, Russia will not seriously think about peace”.

He added: “The interceptors for the Patriots have not yet been replaced, and they are needed every day. Each additional missile saves the lives of our people.”

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko visited the Solomianskyi district, where emergency workers were still clearing debris from destroyed buildings.

Speaking to BBC News, Klitschko said Ukraine urgently needed “ammunition, anti-missile systems – we need support from our partners”.

Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko similarly described the country as “absolutely unprotected” against ballistic missile attacks, saying Ukraine “can’t do anything” without sufficient interceptors.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “Russia is using this trying to destroy as much infrastructure as possible.

“For us it’s very painful because we are dying here every day without these interceptors.”

The latest strikes have left many Kyiv residents facing another displacement.

Valeria Bondaruk, who had moved to Kyiv after her home in southern Ukraine was bombed, said she had hoped the capital would provide a safer environment for herself and her daughter.

After the latest attack damaged her apartment, she hid in a hallway overnight because the building had no bomb shelter. She is now considering leaving Ukraine because of concerns about her 13-year-old daughter’s future.

Another resident, primary school teacher Anastasiia Kovtun, described the fear of hearing explosions near her home.

She said her “head was going to blow” when the explosions began while she was in a shelter.

“It’s so frightening to realise it’s your house, you never think you’re going to be next,” she told the BBC.

When asked whether she could return to her apartment, she said: “Even if were able to move back in, we wouldn’t want it after this. If we stayed in the flat for ten minutes more we might have been killed.”

The strikes caused widespread damage across Kyiv.

A missile strike in Solomianskyi destroyed vehicles and damaged a building that supplied heating to nearby apartment blocks. Thousands of properties were also left without power.

At a local school, windows were shattered and debris covered the playing fields. A nearby storeroom was completely destroyed, exposing the basement.

A children’s hospital was also among the facilities damaged during the attacks.

Ukraine has warned that Russia may be deliberately targeting infrastructure ahead of winter in an effort to make conditions increasingly difficult for civilians.

The latest assault was not limited to Kyiv. Ukrainian officials reported casualties and damage elsewhere in the country.

One man was killed and seven others injured in attacks in the Brovary and Boryspil districts of the wider Kyiv region. In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and 11 others were wounded, according to a local official.

Russia, meanwhile, said its forces had shot down 726 Ukrainian drones launched towards different regions of the country.

Romania reported that a drone crossed into its territory near the Ukrainian border before crashing in an uninhabited area, while Poland said it had launched “defensive air operations” to protect its airspace.

The latest attacks come amid an escalation in long-range strikes by both sides.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted facilities deep inside Russia, including sites around Moscow. Hundreds of drones were reportedly launched towards the Russian capital over the weekend.

Russia has also continued large-scale missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

The conflict has now lasted more than four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow currently controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.

Despite the intensity of the attacks, diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire have made limited progress.

Both Russia and Ukraine continue to accuse each other of targeting civilian areas, while the latest strikes have further highlighted the vulnerability of civilians and Ukraine’s urgent need for additional air-defence systems.

For Kyiv residents, the immediate priority remains survival as emergency crews continue clearing the destruction left behind by the latest barrage.