In brief
A Russian ballistic missile struck Kyiv, killing nine people and injuring dozens, prompting President Zelensky to call for Patriot missile interceptors. Days later, Ukrainian drones sank the Russian‑flagged container ship Yanina in the Black Sea, sparking calls for improved air defence. Amid heightened Russian air attacks, Ukraine urges the U.S. to provide Patriot missile production licences and continues retaliatory strikes against Russian logistics hubs.
At least nine people were killed and many injured when a Russian ballistic missile hit Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.
The strike caused fires across the city, with power cuts reported in several districts. Emergency services admitted that a residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district was partially destroyed, trapping residents inside. The Darnytskyi district saw another strike that killed seven people and injured 14, including two children. Officials also reported casualties in the Solomyanskyi district, where a five‑storey building was damaged.
A missile landed near the Lithuanian embassy in Kyiv, shattering its windows and scattering debris inside the compound. The incident illustrates the intensity of the air campaign, which Moscow has escalated over the last weeks.
Two days earlier, Ukrainian drones sank the Russian‑owned container ship Yanina in the Black Sea. Russian state‑owned nuclear operator Rosatom confirmed the attack and said all 17 crew members were rescued in satisfactory condition. Rosatom’s CEO condemned the act as “piracy and robbery” and warned that any technology given to a nation could be turned against them.
Faced with dwindling Patriot missile supplies, Zelensky urged the United States to license the production of these interceptors. In a recent meeting with President Donald Trump, Zelensky highlighted air defence as a top priority, and Trump acknowledged ongoing talks while expressing caution over allowing Ukraine to produce advanced US weaponry.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has intensified retaliatory strikes against Russian logistics hubs, targeting warehouses belonging to retailer Wildberries and disrupting supplies to the Russian army.
