Reports from Ukrainian officials indicated that two individuals lost their lives and 13 others sustained injuries in Kyiv due to strikes carried out by Russian missiles and drones in Ukraine. The attack led to fires and destruction in Kyiv, affecting residential areas, including a kindergarten, as confirmed by city authorities.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko expressed concern that the recent strikes once again targeted civilian and energy infrastructure, emphasizing Russia’s alleged intention to create a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine during the winter season.
Furthermore, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha disclosed that Russian missiles and drones also attacked vital facilities such as the energy grid, railroads, and residential buildings in Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Sumy.
Russia’s Defence Ministry asserted that the overnight assaults were aimed at Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises and energy infrastructure facilities supporting their operations. Additionally, the ministry claimed to have intercepted 121 Ukrainian drones, including seven allegedly heading towards Moscow.
Zelenskyy Advocates for Western Air Defence Support
The scenes of massive smoke over Kyiv on Saturday morning were accompanied by firefighting efforts to extinguish fires that had broken out across the city. Firefighters managed to contain a fire in a 140,000-square-foot warehouse with the assistance of helicopters and successfully put out another building fire.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the critical need for Patriot air defence systems to defend Ukrainian cities against ongoing Russian aggressions. Zelenskyy emphasized the urgency for partners possessing such capabilities to implement discussed strategies to bolster Ukraine’s defense.
The effectiveness of Patriot systems in neutralizing Russian ballistic missiles was underscored, with Ukraine currently in discussions to procure 25 Patriot air defence systems from the United States to enhance its defense capabilities.
Ukraine’s air force reported downing four missiles and 50 drones out of the total launched during the overnight attacks. The air force detailed five direct missile hits and 12 drone strikes across 11 locations within the country.
