Russia bombarded cities across Ukraine with missiles and drones overnight into Thursday, killing two people and wounding at least 14. The strikes hit Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, while Ukraine said it shot down or suppressed seven Russian ballistic missiles. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs more air defense support, including ballistic missile defense packages. Russia and Ukraine also reported fresh drone attacks on each other’s territory.
A firefighter walks next to a destroyed warehouse after Russian drone attacks at the outskirt of Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug. 27. AP-Yonhap
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia bombarded cities across Ukraine with missiles and drones in an overnight onslaught that ran into the daylight hours of Thursday, when explosions echoed around Kyiv through the morning.
Ukraine is desperately short of U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles that can counter Russia’s ballistic missiles, and Moscow’s fast-flying jet-powered drones have brought another challenge since the Russian military's full-scale invasion began 4½ years ago.
Ukrainian officials say Russia builds up missile stocks and launches major attacks every few days, hoping to exhaust Ukrainian defenses through the sheer weight of numbers. In response, Ukraine has hit high-profile targets on Russian soil as the countries inflict mutual destruction.
