President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday to press for urgently needed air defense interceptors after a devastating Russian missile and drone attack killed 17 people and wounded more than 40 in Kyiv and the surrounding region. The high-level call came just hours after Ukrainian air defenses failed to intercept any of the missiles Russia launched overnight – exposing one of the most dangerous gaps in the country’s defenses as Moscow intensifies ballistic attacks against Ukrainian cities.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Today, I spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the overall situation,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “Mark is well-informed about the threats, and we coordinated our efforts regarding countries that have the necessary missiles and the capacity to help.” “It is important to cut through all red tape and make the necessary political decisions,” he wrote. Ukraine destroys 98 drones – but none of the missiles Russia launched 115 drones alongside missiles in the overnight barrage. Ukraine’s Air Force reported intercepting 98 of the drones – roughly 85% of those launched. But preliminary Air Force figures showed that Ukraine failed to shoot down any of the missiles. The contrast highlights the increasingly serious challenge facing Ukrainian air defenses. Russia has increasingly launched short, concentrated missile salvos against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, placing additional pressure on Ukraine’s limited stocks of interceptor missiles.