Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 17 people and wounded dozens more in Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight, authorities said Wednesday.
Kyiv was unable to shoot down any of the missiles launched by Russia, whose intensifying attacks have prompted Kyiv to plead for more US-made Patriot interceptors.
Russia has significantly upped its attacks on the Ukrainian capital in recent months, typically firing salvoes of hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles in short blitzes that rock buildings and send booms echoing across the city.
“Ballistic interceptors are what could have saved the lives of those killed today,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, announcing 17 people had been killed.
A cloud of smoke hovered over the capital at sunrise after the attacks sparked fires in several locations in the region.
Over 40 people were wounded in the capital and its surrounding areas, local authorities said.