Six dead, dozens wounded as Russia strikes Ukraine with missiles, drones

KYIV, - Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Ukraine on Saturday, killing six people and wounding dozens more, officials ​said, as Kyiv awaited supplies of air defence ​munitions amid a shortage that has left it exposed to Russian attacks.

Four people were killed and ​17 wounded when two glide bombs hit a crowded area in the northern city of Sumy, authorities said. One of the bombs hit a bus stop, and pictures showed a destroyed yellow bus with one of its sides ripped off.

Two more people were killed and another was wounded earlier in the ‌day by a ⁠missile strike ⁠on the southern port city of Odesa, while a drone hit a civilian enterprise in the eastern city of Kharkiv, wounding seven.


Eleven people, meanwhile, had been wounded ​in the capital Kyiv during an overnight attack that used ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones.

"Civilian infrastructure was hit even before the ​air raid alert was issued," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, referring to the attacks on Kyiv. "Our defenders managed to shoot down most of the targets, but not the ballistic ones."

He reiterated a call for Ukraine's allies to quickly deliver the support packages of air defences agreed ​at the NATO summit this week.

Russia launched six ballistic missiles, another six cruise missiles ⁠and 121 drones ‌in the overnight attacks including against Kyiv, Ukraine's air force said on Saturday morning, before the strikes ​on Odesa, Kharkiv ​and Sumy took place.

It said it downed at least two cruise missiles and 111 drones.

UKRAINE PLEADS FOR ⁠SUPPLIES FROM ALLIES

Ukraine, which is critically low on munitions for its Patriot air ​defence systems, has been largely unable to down ballistic missiles, which travel at several times ​the speed of sound, over the past month.

It has pleaded with allies for greater supplies of those munitions and has also pushed Europe to work with Kyiv on its own anti-ballistic air defence system.

U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that Ukraine will be granted a licence to produce its own Patriot interceptor missiles.

After Saturday's attack, Zelenskiy called for those projects to move "as swiftly as possible".

Russia has stepped up attacks on the capital in recent weeks. So far this month, strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region have ‌killed more than 60 people.

Kyiv, in turn, has been pressuring Russia's military logistics in occupied southern Ukraine, seeking to deprive Russian forces of fuel and munitions by conducting strikes on trucks and vessels deep behind ​the front lines.

Ukraine's drone ​forces chief Robert Brovdi said his ⁠units had struck 21 fuel tanker vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight, as well as seven other cargo and support ships, bringing the total number of vessels struck this week to 76.

Zelenskiy has said the aim of the drone strike campaign is ​to bring Russia to the negotiating table, although Russia's Vladimir Putin has not yet publicly shown any willingness to soften his position.

One person was killed in a drone attack on four vessels, including a tanker carrying methanol, in Taganrog Bay on the Sea of Azov, Russian authorities said on Saturday.

On Friday, fires broke out at two fuel depots and at the Taganrog sea port following drone attacks.

The Russian Defence Ministry said air defence units had downed a total of 178 Ukrainian drones over various regions overnight.