Russia hits Kyiv with 27 ballistic missiles; only one intercepted, Zelenskyy says

Russian forces struck Ukraine with 27 ballistic missiles overnight on Friday into Saturday, of which only one was intercepted, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, blaming a critical shortage of Patriot interceptors and urging Western allies to deliver air defense capabilities immediately.

At least nine people were killed and more than 30 injured in Kyiv alone, according to the city's military administration, making it the second large-scale ballistic missile barrage against the capital in 48 hours.english.nv+1

The Attack

Russia launched 35 missiles and 185 drones overnight, with Kyiv as the primary target, according to Ukraine's Air Force. Explosions began at approximately 1:33 a.m. local time, with a rapid succession of blasts rattling the city. Air defenses neutralized 156 targets overall — 154 drones, one Iskander-M ballistic missile, and one guided air-launched missile — but 26 of the 27 ballistic missiles struck their targets.pravda+2

A five-story residential building in the Solomianskyi district was partially destroyed, killing two people and injuring eight, including two children. In the Darnytskyi district, seven people died and 14 were wounded after fires engulfed administrative buildings. The Lithuanian Embassy, a school, and infrastructure across seven Kyiv districts sustained damage.english.nv+2

Zelenskyy's Appeal

"Only one ballistic missile was shot down overnight simply because there are no missiles for the Patriot systems," Zelenskyy wrote on social media. He warned that the shortage "only encourages Russia to carry out such attacks against human life" and called on partners to understand "these systems are needed not somewhere in warehouses for hypothetical scenarios, but here and now."pravda+1

The plea comes at a fraught moment. On Friday, President Trump walked back a promise made at the NATO summit in Turkey earlier in July to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptors. "We have not agreed to that," Trump said during a cabinet meeting at Camp David, citing concerns about sharing advanced military technology. The reversal was first reported by Reuters and confirmed by The New York Times.bbc+2

Escalating Strikes

The attack marked a sharp escalation in Russia's air campaign against Ukrainian cities. Just two days earlier, a similar Russian missile and drone barrage killed at least eight people across Ukraine and saw a missile enter Polish airspace. Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, called for more air defenses following that strike.news4jax+2

Raytheon RTX Corporation ↗ 0.37%, maker of the Patriot system, and Lockheed Martin ↗ 0.45%, which produces the PAC-3 interceptor missiles, have been in discussions with Ukrainian officials about potential co-production arrangements, but those talks now face uncertainty following Trump's reversal.nytimes+1

"Every package containing antiballistic capabilities saves the lives of our people," Zelenskyy said. "And every night without them leads to casualties."english.nv