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Russia pounds Ukraine in new air attack, killing nine
🇮🇪 Ireland /Conflict & Security

Russia pounds Ukraine in new air attack, killing nine

From RTÉ News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Russia launched a large-scale overnight air attack on Ukraine, deploying over 70 missiles and 280 drones, resulting in nine deaths.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that delays in air defense missile supplies from allies are costing lives, highlighting the critical need for systems like the US-made Patriot.
  • The attacks primarily targeted Kyiv and the western Lviv region, with Poland reporting a Russian cruise missile briefly entering its airspace.

Russia unleashed a barrage of over 70 missiles and approximately 280 drones across Ukraine in an overnight assault that killed at least nine people. President Volodymyr Zelensky decried the loss of life, directly linking it to delayed air defense supplies from international partners. He emphasized that "untimely assistance and delays in the supply of anti-ballistic missiles result in the kind of destruction and casualties we are witnessing today."

Protecting against the Russian missile threat is the most important task for preserving the lives of our people.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyPresident Zelenskyy stated the importance of air defense following the Russian attack.

The capital, Kyiv, and the western region of Lviv, bordering Poland, were the main targets. Poland, a NATO member, scrambled fighter jets in response to a Russian cruise missile that briefly entered its airspace, causing a large crater and debris. Zelensky posted images of devastated homes and rescue efforts, stressing that "protecting against the Russian missile threat is the most important task for preserving the lives of our people."

Ukraine's air force reported shooting down 55 missiles and 265 drones, but only one of nine ballistic missiles. Eleven missiles and 17 drones successfully hit targets. The article notes that the US-made Patriot system is Ukraine's sole defense against Russian ballistic missiles, but these systems are in short global supply. A village in the Dnipropetrovsk region observed a day of mourning after a missile strike killed six people, including three children, and left five children missing.

Our allies know how they can help. Untimely assistance and delays in the supply of anti-ballistic missiles result in the kind of destruction and casualties we are witnessing today.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyPresident Zelenskyy linked the casualties to delayed military aid from allies.

Officials reported one death in Kyiv, one in Lviv, and another in Poltava. In Kyiv, air alerts persisted for over five hours, forcing thousands to seek shelter in metro stations. The article also mentions that the strike might have involved a powerful North Korean ballistic missile, a rare occurrence in the nearly year-long conflict.

Only the "extraordinary expertise" of Ukrainian air defence units had prevented more deaths.

— Volodymyr ZelenskyyPresident Zelenskyy credited Ukrainian air defense forces for mitigating casualties.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RTÉ News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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