Kiev [Ukraine] / Moscow [Russia], August 6: Russia has pounded Kiev and surrounding areas with ballistic missiles and drones, killing at least 21 people, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns lives could have been saved had allies replenished its stocks of missile interceptors.
Ukraine's State Emergency Service said on Telegram that cleanup operations were under way following what it described as a "massive attack" early Wednesday.
Among the sites struck were warehouse facilities in the city of Brovary, while a fire broke out at another warehouse in the city of Bucha.
Zelensky said in a post on X that Russia fired 24 ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles and 115 drones during the assault. He also said such "horrific casualties and destruction" were a direct result of Ukraine's shortage of missile interceptors.
"The main targets of the attack were warehouse facilities belonging to civilian businesses," Zelensky said.
"There were also strikes on infrastructure and a railway station. These facilities had nothing to do with the war - a brewing company, construction materials warehouses, and civilian logistics facilities," he said.
"Ballistic missile interceptors could have saved the lives of those killed today. It is very important that our partners understand that delays in supplying them, or an unwillingness to provide anti-ballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction." Zelensky said supplies of air defence missiles to Ukraine are three times less than in 2025.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelensky, accused Moscow of targeting civilian infrastructure in a post on Facebook.
Last week, United States President Donald Trump appeared to backtrack on a promise to grant Kiev a licence to produce Patriot missile interceptors domestically.
However, citing four sources, the Reuters news agency reported that US officials are discussing with Ukraine how to replenish its depleted stocks of Patriot missiles. One option under discussion would allow Ukraine to manufacture some of the components domestically before the final product is assembled in Germany.
Russian drone factory director wounded
Ukraine also launched strikes against Russia on Wednesday, hitting the sorting office of a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, the country's largest online retailer. Ukrainian drones struck the facility in the town of Aleksin in Tula oblast, according to regional Governor Dmitry Milyaev. Milyaev said other local structures were also hit, including two apartment buildings.
Meanwhile, the director of a Russian drone factory is in serious condition in hospital after the car he was travelling in exploded. The blast killed his driver. The cause of the explosion is not yet known, although Ukraine has carried out car bomb attacks against Russian officials since the war began more than four years ago.
As Ukraine struggles to defend itself from Russian air attacks, Moscow has received a missile unit from North Korea, according to Reuters. The agency reported that the unit could be equipped with as many as 120 missiles and six launchers and had been deployed to western Russia.
Source: Qatar Tribune