- Missile and Drone Strikes Hit Kryvyi Rih, Lviv, Poltava and Kyiv; Zelensky Renews Call for Patriot Interceptors
KYIV: At least eight people were killed and dozens more wounded in a fresh wave of Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities said Thursday, as President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow could launch another large-scale overnight assault.
One of the deadliest attacks struck a village near the central city of Kryvyi Rih, where a ballistic missile hit a residential property, killing four adults and two girls, aged five and 12, according to local officials.
Eight other people were wounded in the strike, while officials warned that the death toll could rise as emergency crews continued searching the affected area.
Lviv, Poltava and Kyiv Also Targeted
In the eastern Poltava region, authorities reported that one person was killed when a drone struck a warehouse.
At least 15 people were also wounded in attacks on Lviv in western Ukraine, according to local officials.
In the capital, Kyiv’s city military administration confirmed one death and two injuries after Russian forces launched what Mayor Vitali Klitschko described as a ballistic missile attack.
“The threat of further attack remains present. Stay in shelters,” Klitschko warned early Thursday, reporting fires in several districts of the capital.
Additional casualties were reported in eastern parts of Kyiv as emergency crews responded to the strikes.
An AFP journalist in the capital reported hearing air-raid sirens followed by multiple explosions. Images released by Kyiv’s emergency services showed firefighters battling blazes at damaged buildings and searching through piles of rubble.
Zelensky Warns of ‘Massive Attack’
Zelensky had warned late Wednesday that Russia was preparing a major assault.
“The Russians prepared a massive attack several days ago, and there is a high probability that the strike will be carried out tonight,” he said in a post on X, urging Ukrainians across the country to heed air-raid warnings and remain in safe locations.
The Ukrainian president again called on Western allies to provide Kyiv with additional air-defense missiles, particularly Patriot interceptors, which Ukraine says are essential for countering Russia’s ballistic missile attacks.
Zelensky discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump during their meeting at the White House on Tuesday, including the possibility of Ukraine producing Patriot interceptors under a US license.
Civilian Toll Continues to Rise
The latest attacks come amid a sharp escalation in Russia’s long-range strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
According to the United Nations, the previous month was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022, as Moscow intensified missile and drone attacks across the country.
Ukraine has also expanded its strikes against targets inside Russia in recent months, partly as an effort to increase pressure on Moscow to return to negotiations after more than four years of war.
Ukraine Seeks More Patriot Missiles
Earlier in July, Trump indicated that Washington could allow Ukraine to manufacture surface-to-air missiles as Russia intensified its ballistic missile campaign.
Ukraine has repeatedly stressed its shortage of PAC-3 interceptor missiles, which are used by Patriot systems to counter some of Russia’s most advanced ballistic missiles.
The shortage has become more acute amid increased global demand for air-defense interceptors.
Following his meeting with Trump, Zelensky said he had received a positive response regarding the possibility of licensed production, saying the US president had agreed to provide Ukraine with the necessary authorization.
Ukrainian Drone Strikes Hit Russian Retail Warehouses
Meanwhile, Ukraine continued its campaign of drone strikes against targets inside Russia.
A warehouse belonging to Wildberries, one of Russia’s largest online retailers, caught fire in the western city of Penza following a Ukrainian drone attack, regional Governor Oleg Melnichenko said.
One person was injured and approximately 200 people were evacuated from the facility, according to the governor.
Wildberries said separately that another facility in Sarapul, in Russia’s Udmurtia region, also caught fire following a drone attack on Thursday.
The repeated attacks have caused significant disruption for the company and the small businesses that rely on its logistics network. Wildberries and local authorities say nearly a dozen of its warehouses have been damaged in recent attacks, destroying roughly 10 percent of its storage capacity and causing losses for tens of thousands of small businesses using the platform.
Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, has warned that continued attacks affecting Wildberries could put additional financial pressure on online retailers and their suppliers, potentially requiring higher loan-loss provisions.
Russia Reports Large-Scale Drone Interceptions
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces intercepted or destroyed 258 Ukrainian drones overnight, including over areas of Ukraine under Russian occupation.
The claims could not be independently verified.
Both Moscow and Kyiv deny deliberately targeting civilians, although civilian casualties and damage to residential areas have continued throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
BY: Agencies
