A predawn Russian ballistic missile attack struck Kyiv and its surrounding suburbs on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and injuring dozens more, according to Ukrainian officials, as Moscow continues to exploit gaps in Ukraine’s weakened air defense network.
The strike sparked large fires that sent smoke billowing across the capital’s skyline, with rescue crews working to locate survivors amid the wreckage. It marked the third major attack on Kyiv within a single week, coming as Ukraine faces a severe shortage of interceptor missiles for its Patriot systems, currently the only reliable defense against Russia’s more advanced missile technology.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement that ballistic missile interceptors could have saved the lives of those killed, putting the initial death toll at 17. He stressed that Ukraine’s partners need to understand that delays in supplying these systems, or reluctance to provide anti-ballistic capability, translate directly into casualties and destruction on this scale.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that none of the 24 ballistic missiles or four hypersonic missiles Russia launched in the attack were intercepted. While the air force said it managed to shoot down 98 drones during the same assault, it recorded 17 separate missile strikes. The missiles hit within just minutes of each other, leaving civilians almost no time to reach shelter.
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According to Zelensky, the primary targets were warehouse facilities tied to civilian businesses, including a train depot, a brewing company, construction materials storage sites and civilian logistics centers. Local officials said at least eight people died at a train facility in the Kyiv suburb of Brovary, while three more were killed at a sorting center belonging to postal and delivery company Nova Poshta, which was destroyed in the strike.
Ukraine’s national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, said in a statement that early reports indicate bodies were found on a railway platform near the logistics centers that came under attack.
Ukraine, meanwhile, continued striking facilities inside Russia belonging to Wildberries, the country’s largest online retailer, including an overnight attack targeting a warehouse in Tula, roughly 200 miles from the border.
