An overnight barrage of Russian missiles and drones into Saturday has killed at least four people and wounded 20 across Ukraine, prompting an immediate and fervent call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the West to expedite the delivery of advanced air defense systems.
The capital, Kyiv, was hit by a ballistic missile attack in the early hours of Saturday, killing two people and wounding 13. Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the city was “under ballistic attack” as debris from intercepted missiles damaged nearby buildings and a non-residential building caught fire. The Dnipropetrovsk region also suffered fatalities, with two people killed and seven wounded, and residential buildings damaged.
Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting four of nine Russian missiles and 50 of 62 drones launched.
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The deadly strikes intensified President Zelenskyy’s plea to international partners. He specifically cited the attacks as evidence of Ukraine’s critical need for Patriot defense systems, which are capable of countering ballistic missiles.
“It is precisely because of such attacks that we pay special attention to Patriot systems… It is critical that partners who possess relevant capability implement what we have discussed in recent days,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media, urging America, Europe, and the G7 countries to help ensure such attacks “no longer threaten lives.”
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Zelenskyy is currently seeking to acquire 25 Patriot systems from the U.S. to fortify urban air defenses. His appeal comes on the heels of talks in London with two dozen European leaders aimed at securing military aid and increasing pressure on Russia, including a call for expanded U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and the supply of long-range missiles, such as Tomahawks, to strike back at Russia.
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