Ukraine has warned of a serious missile shortage after Russian strikes killed at least 22 people in Kyiv and the wider Kyiv region. This has raised fresh concerns over the country’s ability to defend itself against ballistic missile attacks.
According to BBC, the Ukrainian Air Force said none of the 23 ballistic missiles fired by Russia at Kyiv on Sunday night were intercepted. This was due to a “serious shortage” of interceptor missiles.
Officials said at least 15 people were killed in Kyiv, while seven others died in the wider Kyiv region. Dozens more were injured, including children and rescue workers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched a “massive” attack involving 68 missiles and 351 strike drones. He said Ukrainian forces were able to intercept or suppress several cruise missiles and drones. However, they failed to stop the ballistic missiles.
Zelensky appealed to Ukraine’s allies to take “strong decisions” at this week’s NATO summit. He warned that Moscow would continue striking residential buildings as long as Patriot missiles remained in allied stockpiles.
“The United States and Europe have enough power to stop this terror,” Zelensky said.
The strikes caused widespread destruction across Kyiv, with several apartment blocks partly collapsing after direct missile hits. Rescue teams searched through the rubble using sniffer dogs, while cranes removed heavy slabs of concrete from damaged buildings.
One resident, Olena, described the attack as terrifying, saying glass shattered after the first explosion and everything began to shake.
“I feel like I have calmed down, but I am still trembling all over,” she said.
She also questioned why Ukraine could not stop any of the ballistic missiles fired during the attack.
“It seems we have nothing to intercept them with. So where are our partners?” she asked.
The latest attack came days after another deadly strike on Kyiv that killed 30 people. Ukraine accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian areas, while Moscow claimed it was attacking military and energy facilities.
The Ukraine missile shortage is expected to dominate discussions at the NATO summit in Turkey. There, Zelensky is reportedly expected to meet United States President Donald Trump.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine’s urgent need for more air defence systems would be discussed at the summit.
The renewed warning over the Ukraine missile shortage comes as Russia continues its full-scale war, which began in February 2022. Russia still controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
