Russian raids kill 4 as Zelensky pleads for air defence systems

Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine overnight into Saturday killed at least four people and wounded 20, officials said, and prompted fresh pleas from Ukraine’s president for Western air defence systems.

In the capital, Kyiv, two people were killed and 13 were wounded in a ballistic missile attack in the early hours of Saturday, Kyiv’s police said.

A fire broke out in a non-residential building in one location, while debris from intercepted missiles fell in an open area at another site, damaging windows in nearby buildings, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service wrote on the message app Telegram.

“Explosions in the capital. The city is under ballistic attack,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram during the onslaught.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were killed and seven wounded, acting regional Governor Vladyslav Haivanenko said, adding that apartment buildings and private homes were damaged in the strikes.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched nine missiles and 62 drones, of which four missiles and 50 drones were intercepted.

In Russia, the Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 121 Ukrainian drones over Russia overnight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that such attacks intensify Ukraine’s need for Patriot defence systems.

“It is precisely because of such attacks that we pay special attention to Patriot systems - to be able to protect our cities from this horror. It is critical that partners who possess relevant capability implement what we have discussed in recent days,” he wrote in English on X.

“America, Europe and the G7 countries can help ensure that such attacks no longer threaten lives,” he said.

Zelensky is hoping Ukraine can purchase 25 Patriots from the US to fortify its air defences, particularly in cities.

Zelensky on Friday urged the United States to expand its sanctions on Russian oil from two companies to the whole sector, and appealed for long-range missiles to hit back at Russia.

Zelensky was in London for talks with two dozen European leaders who have pledged military help to shield his country from future Russian aggression if a ceasefire stops the more than three-year war.

The meeting hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer aimed to step up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding momentum to recent measures that have included a new round of sanctions from the United States and European countries on Russia’s vital oil and gas export earnings.

The talks also addressed ways of helping protect Ukraine’s power grid from Russia’s almost daily drone and missile attacks as winter approaches, enhancing Ukrainian air defences, and supplying Kyiv with longer-range missiles that can strike deep inside Russia.

Zelensky has urged the US to send Tomahawk missiles, an idea US President Donald Trump has considered.

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s envoy for investment and economic cooperation, said on Friday he believes Russia, the US and Ukraine were “quite close to a diplomatic solution” to end the three-year war.

Speaking to CNN after arriving in Washington for talks with US officials, Dmitriev said a planned summit in Budapest between Trump and Putin had not been cancelled but would likely occur later.

Trump said on Tuesday his plan for a swift meeting with Putin was on hold because he didn’t want it to be a “waste of time.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made clear in public comments on Tuesday that Russia is opposed to an immediate ceasefire.

A White House official confirmed on Friday that Dmitriev, who announced his visit on X, will meet US envoy Steve Witkoff.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised to publicly discuss the private meeting.

Earlier, European leaders and Nato chief vowed to step up sanctions on Russia and accelerate the delivery of long-range strike and air defence weapons to Ukraine following a “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in London.

Agencies