(LONDON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that at least 17 people were killed in Kyiv and the surrounding region in a massive overnight Russian missile and drone strike, with Ukraine’s air force failing to intercept any missiles amid a shortage of air defense munitions.
Ukraine’s air force said in a post to Telegram that Russia launched 115 drones and 28 missiles — 24 ballistic missiles and four anti-ship missiles — into the country overnight, of which 98 drones were intercepted.
None of the missiles were shot down, the air force said citing “preliminary data,” reporting missile and drone impacts across 26 locations.
Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram that the “massive” and “devastating” attack killed at least 17 people. At least another 44 people were injured in the attack, Zelenskyy added.
“The main targets of the attack were storage facilities belonging to civilian enterprises, but there were also strikes on infrastructure and a railway station,” Zelenskyy said. “The targets included entities unrelated to the war: a brewery, warehouses for building materials and civilian logistics facilities.”
“Ballistic missile interceptors — these are what could have saved the lives of those who died today,” Zelenskyy wrote. “It is crucial that our partners understand that delays in their supply or a reluctance to provide anti-ballistic systems leads to precisely these horrific casualties and destruction.”
“A significant portion of Russian ballistic missile production is not currently under sanctions. This needs to change. New steps are needed from the G7, from the EU, from everyone who supports the protection of life,” Zelenskyy wrote.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement posted to Telegram that its “massive strike” targeted what it said were “transport, logistics and distribution centers in the city of Kyiv and the Kyiv region.”
The ministry said that storage and distribution facilities for drone components and electronic warfare systems were among the targets struck, as were three cargo ships.
The ministry also said that Russian forces shot down at least 475 Ukrainian drones overnight into Wednesday morning.
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