Three people, including a child, have died in hours of Russian missile attacks on the outskirts of Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.
The strikes, described as ballistic missile hits by regional military administration head Timur Tkachenko, caused powerful explosions and falling debris that damaged apartment buildings, cars, and set a separate building on fire.
Emergency crews fought fires at a damaged building and a fuel tank, as Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported on Telegram. Ukraine’s state emergency service DSNS released images of garages ablaze, a business and a building on fire, while stating that the number of victims was still being clarified.
In the wake of these attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been in Serbia, raising concerns about Ukraine’s dwindling interceptor stockpile. On Saturday he said delayed delivery of anti‑ballistic systems “has caused horrific casualties and destruction,” arguing that a stronger interception capability could have saved lives in the recent deadly assaults.
Zelenskiy also highlighted that this year’s supply of interceptors from allies had been “significantly reduced.” The president linked Ukraine’s own retaliation — hits on two Russian oil refineries and on Moscow‑linked vessels in the Black Sea — to an effort to curb oil revenues that finance Russia’s war effort.
Russia’s response to these attacks has focused on defensive modernization, while international aides continue to pressure for increased armament support. The escalating battle over firepower underscores the broader dispute of how to balance offensive strikes with defensive safeguards on both sides.
© State Emergency Service DSNS, Ukraine
