At least two people were killed today in Ukraine in Russian missile and drone attacks, the British agency Reuters reported, adding that Ukraine continues to face a shortage of air defense systems.
One of the Russian missiles struck the port city of Odesa, where two people were killed and one injured. In a drone attack on Kharkiv, seven people were injured.
In Kyiv, 11 people were injured in drone and ballistic missile attacks.
„Civilian infrastructure was hit even before the air raid warning was issued,“ said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that rescue teams are already working on the ground.
„Our defenders managed to shoot down most of the targets, but not the ballistic missiles,“ Zelensky added, once again calling on Ukraine’s allies to quickly deliver the air defense aid packages agreed upon at this year’s NATO summit.
Russia launched six ballistic missiles, six cruise missiles, and 121 drones, the Ukrainian Air Force reported, specifying that it shot down at least two cruise missiles and 111 drones.
Due to the lack of Patriot air defense systems, Ukraine has in the past month proven largely unable to intercept ballistic missiles, which travel several times faster than the speed of sound.
Zelensky has been complaining for weeks about the lack of interceptor missiles.
On the sidelines of the NATO summit held Wednesday in Ankara, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would authorize Ukraine to produce Patriot missile systems.
According to defense experts, it would take Ukraine a year to produce them on its own, which in the short term leaves the country vulnerable to Russian missiles.
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