At least 15 killed in Kyiv as Russian strikes expose Ukraine’s air defence shortage

At least 15 people have been killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv, local authorities said on Thursday, as Ukraine warned that shortages of air defence missiles are leaving the capital increasingly vulnerable to Russian attacks.

The overnight barrage struck residential buildings, warehouses and other infrastructure across the Ukrainian capital. A children's hospital and a school were also damaged, while thousands of properties lost power.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 168 drones and 44 missiles in the attack, mainly targeting Kyiv. Air defences shot down 146 drones and 39 cruise missiles, but the Air Force's morning update indicated that none of the ballistic missiles fired during the attack had been intercepted.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the death toll was directly linked to shortages of air defence missiles supplied by Ukraine's Western allies.

“As long as Ukraine does not have enough anti-ballistics, Russia will not seriously think about peace,” Zelensky said in a Telegram post.

He said Patriot interceptor missiles were being used up faster than they could be replaced.

“The interceptors for the Patriots have not yet been replaced, and they are needed every day. Each additional missile saves the lives of our people,” he said.

Kyiv appeals for more Western support

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko appealed to Ukraine's international partners for additional military assistance.

“We need ammunition, anti-missile systems — we need support from our partners,” Klitschko told the BBC while visiting a damaged apartment building in the Solomianskyi district.

Emergency workers searched through rubble as residents stood outside damaged homes. Cars were destroyed and a facility supplying heating to nearby apartment blocks was badly damaged.

A local school also suffered damage, with windows blown out and debris covering its playing fields.

The strikes began around midnight as air raid sirens sounded across the capital. Parts of the Kyiv region were plunged into darkness after the attacks disrupted electricity supplies.

Friday will be observed as a day of mourning in the city, officials said.

Civilians again bear the impact

Among those affected was Valeria Bondaruk, who had moved to Kyiv after her home in southern Ukraine was destroyed, believing the capital would be safer for her and her 13-year-old daughter.

Her apartment was damaged in the latest attack and she said she was considering leaving Ukraine.

Another resident, 31-year-old primary school teacher Anastasiia Kovtun, said she and her partner were sheltering during the attack when their nine-storey apartment building was hit.

“It's so frightening to realise it's your house, you never think you're going to be next,” she said.

She said they would not want to return to the damaged apartment even if it were made habitable.

Russian strikes continue across Ukraine

The latest attack was not confined to Kyiv. One person was killed and seven wounded in strikes in the Brovary and Boryspil districts of the wider Kyiv region, while another person was killed and 11 injured in the Donetsk region, according to local officials.

Ukraine's State Emergency Service said Russian strikes also damaged civilian infrastructure elsewhere.

Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had targeted military facilities and warehouses using air-, land- and sea-based weapons.

The ministry also said 726 Ukrainian drones had been shot down over Russian regions.

Ukraine has significantly increased its long-range drone attacks on Russia in recent weeks, including a wave of about 600 drones targeting Moscow over the weekend. Two separate Ukrainian attacks in Russia this week killed at least 16 people, including a child, according to Russian officials.

Air defence shortage becomes critical

Ukraine has relied heavily on Western-supplied Patriot systems to defend against Russian ballistic missiles. However, the United States has also been using substantial quantities of interceptor missiles during its war with Iran, placing additional pressure on available stocks.

The latest strikes come amid growing concern in Kyiv that Russia is preparing sustained attacks on critical infrastructure ahead of winter.

Despite repeated large-scale strikes by both sides, diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire have made little progress. Russia and Ukraine continue to accuse each other of targeting civilian infrastructure.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.