Russian Missile and Drone Barrage Kills 17 in Kyiv as Ukraine Faces Critical Air Defense Shortage

Deadliest Attack This Summer

Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region killed 17 people and wounded 44 others overnight into Wednesday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia fired 28 missiles including 24 ballistic projectiles and 115 drones mainly at Kyiv and its surrounding region, while 98 drones were shot down, but none of the missiles were intercepted.

The attack was the latest in a series of large-scale Russian ballistic missile strikes that have become near-routine this summer. In July, Russian attacks killed at least 377 civilians and wounded 2,129 others in Ukraine, making it the deadliest month of the invasion there since April 2022.

Targets and Damage

The Russian Defense Ministry said it struck transport, logistics and distribution centers involved in military activity, listing four targets in Kyiv and claiming they ran war-related operations. Ukraine's largest private postal operator, Nova Poshta, said a Russian cluster munition destroyed one of its sorting centers in Kyiv, with the Russian Defense Ministry claiming the center was storing and distributing dual-use goods, including those used in the production of long- and medium-range uncrewed aerial vehicles, as well as robotic systems and electronic warfare systems.

Air Defense Crisis

The intensified barrages are exploiting Ukraine's critical shortage of interceptor missiles for the U.S.-made Patriot systems, the sole air defense system in its arsenal able to shoot down ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy called on Ukraine's allies to provide military hardware required to down Russian missiles, stating that "delays in their delivery or a reluctance to provide anti-ballistic systems lead precisely to such horrific casualties and destruction," while Ukraine faces a shortage of US-made interceptors for Patriots.

Broader Context

Ukraine has recently sought to raise the cost of war for Russia and test Putin's resolve by targeting Amazon-style retail giant Wildberries, with each side ramping up air attacks on critical infrastructure and logistics hubs. In its latest attack on logistics facilities of Wildberries, Ukrainian drones hit a warehouse in the Tula region south of Moscow, marking the 14th Wildberries warehouse to catch fire in less than three weeks.