A massive, multi-pronged Russian air assault ripped through Ukraine overnight on July 6, triggering a direct appeal from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Western allies to urgently ship more Patriot air defense missiles.
The combined strike, which utilized sea, land, and air-launched missiles alongside waves of attack drones, targeted 34 locations across the country, with the heaviest concentration hitting the capital city of Kyiv. By 10:00 a.m. local time, authorities confirmed that 11 people had been killed and nearly 60 others were injured in Kyiv.
Ukrainian air defense crews managed to shoot down 363 of the 419 total aerial targets launched by Russian forces. While the military achieved a high interception rate against cruise missiles and loitering munitions, it failed to destroy a single one of the 29 ballistic missiles fired during the attack.
In a statement published on X, Zelenskyy credited Ukrainian troops for their response to the standard cruise missiles and drones but pointed directly to a shortage of specialized defense ammunition as the reason the ballistic weapons got through.
“Our warriors performed well today in intercepting drones and cruise missiles, but unfortunately not Russian ballistic missiles. And the reason lies in the insufficient supply of interceptor missiles,” Zelenskyy said. “It is critically important that the world – first and foremost the United States and our European partners – come out of the NATO Summit in Ankara with strong decisions in support of our air defence and thus the protection of ordinary people’s lives.”
The Ukrainian president added that available stockpiles held by allies need to be mobilized to deter further strikes. “As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep ‘vanquishing’ residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror,” he said.
During a national 24/7 newscast, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Colonel Yurii Ihnat noted that major Russian aerial operations have historically occurred roughly every ten days. However, he warned that the military cannot rely on a fixed schedule, as the timing depends entirely on Russia’s immediate inventory and strategic choices.
“They may increase the frequency and launch another attack as soon as the next day. We have to be prepared for that possibility. The enemy could repeat such an attack, so air-raid warnings should never be ignored,” Ihnat stated.
Ihnat also provided context regarding Russia’s production limits and overall missile reserves, noting that logistics still constrain the scale of their campaign. “If they had the capacity to strike us every day, they would already be doing so,” he said.
READ: Kyiv Hammered By Deadly Strikes On Eve Of Crucial NATO Summit
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