At least four people were killed in Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine early on Saturday, local officials said. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attack on the capital also left at least 15 wounded, including two boys aged 13 and 17, while the Kyiv City Military Administration reported the four deaths.
Russia has escalated deadly ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine's capital recently, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to say interceptors are urgently needed. The strikes came two days after a suspected Russian cruise missile landed in Poland during a widespread attack on Ukraine that killed at least eight people, including six members of one family in a village near Kryvyih Rih.
What was the impact of the attack in Kyiv?
Klitschko said the capital had come under a ballistic missile attack, with AFP reporting more than 10 explosions. Fires broke out across the city and power outages were reported in some areas.
Klitschko said a residential building in Shevchenkivskyi was partially destroyed, trapping people inside, while a warehouse was on fire in the Darnytskyi district.
Why is Ukraine pressing for Patriot interceptors?
The attack comes after Zelensky met President Donald Trump in Washington DC earlier this week to urge the US to grant Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot interceptor missiles.
Asked about the missiles during a cabinet meeting at the Camp David retreat on Friday, Trump said the US had not agreed to Ukraine building Patriot missiles but that talks were ongoing.
"very careful about letting somebody build them"
"a big step"
Trump's latest comments regarding Patriot missiles come weeks after he offered to give Ukraine the right to produce them.
As Russia has stepped up its air attacks, Ukraine has run low on supplies of Patriots, which remain the only weapon in its arsenal capable of downing ballistic missiles.
How is Ukraine responding to Russia's attacks?
For its part, Ukraine has escalated its retaliatory strikes in recent months, including attacks on several retail warehouses belonging to Russia's biggest online retailer, Wildberries.
Kyiv says it is targeting logistics hubs used by Russians to buy military equipment, and disrupting supplies to the Russian army.
Key Facts
- At least four people were killed in Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine early on Saturday.
- Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 15 people were wounded, including two boys aged 13 and 17.
- AFP reported more than 10 explosions in Kyiv.
- Klitschko said a residential building in Shevchenkivskyi was partially destroyed and a warehouse was on fire in Darnytskyi.
- The attack came after Zelensky met Donald Trump in Washington DC to discuss a licence for Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles.
