Volodymyr Zelenskyy reports 17 deaths in Kyiv as Russian missile barrage exploits Ukraine's air defense shortage
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that a massive Russian missile and drone barrage killed at least 17 people and wounded dozens in the Kyiv region overnight. The strikes, which included 24 ballistic missiles and 115 drones, targeted civilian infrastructure such as warehouses, a brewery, and a railway station. Zelenskyy emphasized that a shortage of U.S.-made Patriot missile interceptors directly contributed to the casualties, urging international partners to provide more ammunition or allow Ukraine to produce its own. While the administration announced that President Trump had expressed hesitation regarding Ukraine's request to manufacture its own Patriot interceptors, Ukraine has continued to strike Russian targets to pressure Vladimir Putin. These strikes include deep hits on the Russian retail giant Wildberries. In a riposte, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have downed 475 Ukrainian drones across 16 regions. The attack also caused significant damage to major Ukrainian businesses, including the retail chains Epicentr and Rozetka, while Russian officials reported that the CEO of a defense company was injured in a car explosion in the Ural Mountains.