Deadly Russian Missile and Drone Attack Hits Kyiv, Casualties Reported

At least nine people were killed and twenty-eight others were injured after Russia launched a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Ukraine's capital Kyiv overnight into Saturday. The attack damaged residential buildings, sparked multiple fires across the city and left people trapped under debris, officials said. Kyiv mayor Vitalii Klitschko had earlier said a five-storey residential building in the Solomianskyi district was struck by falling debris, causing severe damage and trapping residents inside. "The first and second floors of the damaged residential building had partially collapsed," Klitschko said in a post on Telegram, adding that a fire had also broken out in the courtyard. Klitschko had said at least three people had been killed in the Russian missile attack and confirmed that several people remained trapped in the partially collapsed building. He added that five people had been hospitalised following the strikes. People were also believed to be trapped in another residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district after the first and second floors partially collapsed, Klitschko said. Additionally, seven people were killed and 14 others injured in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district after the attack sparked fires and damaged homes, vehicles, an administrative building and other non-residential structures, emergency services told news agency AP. According to Reuters witnesses, more than a dozen explosions reverberated across the Ukrainian capital during the attack. This comes as Russia stepped up strikes on Kyiv in recent months, while Ukraine continues to face a shortage of air defence systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, which travel several times faster than the speed of sound. The latest bombardment came just two days after another large-scale Russian ballistic missile and drone attack across Ukraine killed 10 civilians and wounded more than 50 others. During that attack, a Russian missile also briefly entered Polish airspace. As Russian aerial attacks intensified, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated Kyiv's demand for additional Patriot air defence systems from the United States and its Western allies. "The Russian air strikes on our country continue and air defense, specifically interceptors for Patriot systems against ballistic missiles, remains a top priority," Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram on Friday. The Ukrainian president also said he had spoken with US vice president JD Vance after his meeting earlier this week in Washington with president Donald Trump. The renewed appeal comes amid uncertainty over future US military support. At the Nato summit in Ankara in July, president Trump said the United States would grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot systems. However, during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential retreat at Camp David on Friday, Trump indicated that no final decision had yet been taken on the proposal.

Meanwhile, a fire broke out at St Basil's Cathedral on Moscow's Red Square early Saturday before being brought under control, according to Russia's state-run TASS news agency. TASS, citing operational services, said the blaze started in the director's office on the first floor. "On the first floor, in the director's office, personal belongings and furniture caught fire. The area of the fire was around 10 sq. metres," a source told the agency, as reported by Kyiv Post. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. No injuries were reported. Around 10 fire engines were deployed to the site before operational services confirmed that the fire had been extinguished, TASS said.