KYIV: Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine overnight into Saturday killed at least four people and wounded 16, officials said, and prompted fresh pleas from Ukraine’s president for Western air defense systems.
In the capital, Kyiv, two people were killed and nine were wounded in a ballistic missile attack in the early hours of Saturday, said Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s city military administration.
A fire broke out in a non-residential building in one location, while debris from intercepted missiles fell in an open area at another site, damaging windows in nearby buildings, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service wrote on the message app Telegram.
“Explosions in the capital. The city is under ballistic attack,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram during the onslaught.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were killed and seven wounded, acting regional Gov. Vladyslav Haivanenko said, adding that apartment buildings and private homes awere damaged in the strikes.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched nine missiles and 62 drones, of which four missiles and 50 drones were intercepted.
In Russia, the Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 121 Ukrainian drones over Russia overnight.