Ukraine suffered one of its deadliest aerial assaults in recent months after Russian forces launched a large overnight missile and drone attack that killed at least 17 people in Kyiv and the surrounding region.
_x000D_According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 115 drones and 28 high-speed missiles, including ballistic missiles. Officials said Ukrainian air defences failed to intercept any of the missiles, highlighting the country’s growing shortage of anti-ballistic defence systems.
_x000D_ _x000D_Ukraine Russian Missile Attack Overwhelms Air Defences
_x000D_President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said civilian infrastructure was the primary target of the overnight bombardment.
_x000D_He said warehouses, railway facilities and commercial infrastructure were hit instead of military positions. Zelenskyy renewed his appeal for Western allies to provide more advanced air-defence systems capable of stopping ballistic missiles.
_x000D_He warned that additional interceptors could have saved lives and prevented widespread destruction.
_x000D_ _x000D_Railway Station Among Hardest-Hit Locations
_x000D_The highest number of casualties occurred near Kvitneva railway station in the Brovary district outside Kyiv.
_x000D_Local officials said several passengers remained on the platform after the final train was delayed. The missile strike killed eight people waiting at the station.
_x000D_Emergency crews continued rescue operations for hours as firefighters battled large blazes caused by the attack.
_x000D_ _x000D_Civilian Businesses Sustain Heavy Damage
_x000D_Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian businesses instead of military facilities.
_x000D_Among the companies affected were Epicentre, ROZETKA, and Nova Poshta, three of Ukraine’s largest commercial operators. Nova Poshta said Russian forces used cluster munitions during the strike on one of its sorting centres near Kyiv.
_x000D_Supermarket chain Silpo confirmed that six employees died after explosions triggered fires at two distribution centres.
_x000D_In a separate attack a day earlier, Russian forces also destroyed a warehouse storing products for Ukrainian ice cream manufacturer Lasunka.
_x000D_ _x000D_Ukraine Calls for More Air Defence Support
_x000D_The latest Ukraine Russian missile attack has intensified calls for additional international military assistance.
_x000D_ Government officials said they will meet with affected businesses to assess the damage and coordinate recovery efforts. Meanwhile, Ukrainian leaders continue urging allies to accelerate deliveries of advanced air-defence systems to strengthen protection against future missile attacks.
