Another night of Russian missiles and drones tore into Ukraine, leaving six people dead and dozens wounded, officials said — a grim toll as Kyiv waits for fresh air-defence supplies amid a shortage that has made the country increasingly vulnerable to strikes.
In the northern city of Sumy, authorities said two glide bombs slammed into a crowded area, killing four people and wounding 17. One of the bombs hit a bus stop; photographs showed a yellow bus wrecked, one side ripped away.
Earlier in the day, a missile strike on the southern port city of Odesa killed two people and wounded another, officials said. In the east, a drone hit a civilian enterprise in Kharkiv, wounding seven.
“Civilian infrastructure was hit even before the air raid alert was issued,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, referring to the attacks on Kyiv.
“Our defenders managed to shoot downmost of the targets, but not the ballistic ones.”
He again urged Ukraine’s partners to speed up delivery of the air-defence support packages agreed at the NATO summit this week.
Residents seen cleaning up in Kyiv, Ukraine, after the Russian missile strike
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired six ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles and 121 drones in the overnight barrage, including attacks targeting Kyiv, before subsequent strikes hit Odesa, Kharkiv and Sumy. The air force said it downed at least two cruise missiles and 111 drones.
Ukraine has been running critically low on munitions for its Patriot air defence systems, a shortfall that has left it largely unable over the past month to intercept ballistic missiles — weapons that move at several times the speed of sound.
Kyiv has pressed allies for increased deliveries of those interceptors and has also pushed Europe to collaborate with Ukraine on developing its own anti-ballistic air defence system.
US President Donald Trump said this week that Ukraine will be granted a licence to produce its own Patriot interceptor missiles.
In the wake of the latest strikes, Mr Zelensky said those efforts must advance “as swiftly as possible”.
Russia has intensified attacks on the capital in recent weeks, and this month alone strikes on Kyiv and surrounding areas have killed more than 60 people.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has sought to squeeze Russia’s military logistics in occupied southern Ukraine, aiming to disrupt fuel and ammunition flows by striking trucks and vessels far behind the front lines.
Damage seen in Kyiv as a result of a Russian missile strike overnight
Robert Brovdi, chief of Ukraine’s drone forces, said his units struck 21 fuel tanker vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight, along with seven other cargo and support ships — bringing the total number of vessels hit this week to 76.
Mr Zelensky has said the drone campaign is designed to force Russia to the negotiating table, though Vladimir Putin has not publicly indicated any readiness to soften his stance.
Russian authorities said one person was killed in a drone attack on four vessels, including a tanker carrying methanol, in Taganrog Bay on the Sea of Azov.
Yesterday, drone strikes sparked fires at two fuel depots and at the Taganrog sea port.
The Russian Defence Ministry said air defence units shot down 178 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions overnight.
