Acting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called it the largest ballistic attack of the war. Ukraine’s air force put it lower, saying it was one of the largest and the fourth strike of comparable size on Kyiv in the past five weeks. It said it shot down 18 of the 41 missiles and downed nearly all of those on a ballistic trajectory.
The strikes damaged residential buildings, a supermarket and a dormitory in the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. At least one person in Kyiv was killed in the attack and 15 wounded, Ukrainian officials said.
Russia’s defense ministry said it had hit what it called defense industry facilities and logistics centers in Kyiv.
The interceptor shortage has worsened since the war with Iran, which drained U.S. and allied Patriot stocks. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs 300 Patriots for the coming winter. U.S. President Donald Trump said this month he would let Ukraine produce the missiles under license, but the arrangement has not been finalized.
Nine European countries agreed on July 13 to back a Ukrainian effort to build a homegrown anti-ballistic system, and France is licensing Ukraine to produce its Aster interceptors.
Ukrainian officials also pressed the EU to break its deadlock over a new sanctions package.