At least 17 people were killed and dozens injured after Russia launched a major overnight missile attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday. The barrage, which lasted nearly two hours, marked the latest in a series of large-scale strikes that have intensified throughout the summer.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine's air defenses failed to intercept any of the incoming ballistic missiles due to a severe shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles. He said the U.S.-made Patriot system remains Ukraine's only effective defense against such attacks. Zelenskyy again urged allies, particularly the United States, to provide additional Patriot ammunition, which he said has become scarcer following the Iran conflict.
As alternatives, he proposed manufacturing Patriot interceptors in Ukraine or securing permission to use Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network to guide long-range strikes against Russian missile launchers. Zelenskyy also revealed that Ukraine's defensive missile supplies have fallen to one-third of 2025 levels.
