At least 16 people have been killed and more than 30 others injured after a wave of Russian missile strikes targeted Kyiv and surrounding areas in the early hours of Thursday.
According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, residential buildings and warehouses were hit in several parts of the capital. A children’s hospital and a school were also damaged.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the scale of the casualties was also linked to shortages of air-defense missiles, as Ukraine continues to rely on supplies from its Western allies.
“Patriot” air-defense systems, he said, remain among the most effective tools for protecting Ukrainian cities against Russian missile attacks.
Meanwhile, Romania reported that a drone crossed into its territory from the direction of Ukraine, prompting air-raid alerts in the northern part of the country.
Poland’s military also announced that it had launched defensive operations to protect its airspace amid the intensified activity near the Ukrainian border.
The latest attacks have once again raised concerns over the growing regional security risks posed by Russia’s war against Ukraine, particularly for NATO members bordering the conflict zone.
