Kyiv attack kills child as Ukraine hits Russian oil refinery

Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and its region killed four people, including a child. Ukraine said it intercepted most incoming drones even as Zelenskyy pressed allies for more air-defence support.

In Short

• Air defences intercepted 135 of 151 drones launched overnight by Russia
• A Brovary home was flattened, killing grandparents, grandson and injuring relatives
• Kyiv also faced six ballistic missiles targeting civilian infrastructure, officials said

Russian attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region killed four people, including a child, on Saturday, local officials said, as Ukraine struck another oil refinery in Russia. Residents of the Ukrainian capital continue to face regular drone and missile attacks as Kyiv's air defences struggle to respond, while repeated Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities have caused fuel shortages in Russia.

Ukraine's air force said it had downed or intercepted 135 of the 151 drones launched by Russia overnight. The attack also involved six ballistic missiles and other guided missiles. Hours before the latest attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Serbia for his first official visit, with talks planned on economic ties, relations with the European Union and security issues.

In the Brovary district of Kyiv region, northeast of the capital, multiple Russian drones destroyed a home early on Saturday, killing two grandparents and their three-year-old grandson, local authorities said. Three other members of the same family and a neighbour who came to help were taken to hospital. The attack reduced the house to rubble and damaged outbuildings and cars.

In Kyiv city, Zelenskyy said at least one other person was killed in a "strike involving six ballistic missiles against civilian infrastructure". Russia has continued to hit civilian areas of Ukraine, although Moscow says its forces target only military facilities. Ukraine is also facing a critical shortage of interceptors for the US-made Patriot systems, the only air defence weapon in its arsenal that can shoot down ballistic missiles.

Zelenskyy has appealed to other countries, especially the United States, to send more ammunition for the Patriot systems, which he said has become scarcer because of the Iran war. He has also pushed to make Patriot ammunition in Ukraine or get permission from Elon Musk to use the Starlink satellite communications system to guide strikes inside Russia that can hit missile launchers. After the latest attacks, Zelenskyy wrote on X calling for more sanctions to "prevent the production of these ballistic missiles", along with "anti-ballistic capabilities" and "interceptor missiles".

Ukraine's defence ministry said on Friday that the country's air defences shot down around 5,300 drones and missiles last month, just under 60 per cent of the around 9,000 attack drones and missiles that Russia fired in the same period.

In Russia, five people were injured after a fire broke out at the Ilsky Oil Refinery in the southern Krasnodar region because of debris from a falling drone, local officials said. Ukraine's near-daily long-range drone and missile attacks, using domestically developed weapons, have hit Russian oil facilities for months and led to a fuel crisis that has embarrassed the Kremlin.

The latest attacks came hours after Zelenskyy reached Serbia on Friday for his first official visit to one of the few European countries that has maintained friendly relations with Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine. "Important talks are scheduled for today and tomorrow," Zelenskyy said. He added that he would meet Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Djuro Macut. "We will discuss expanding economic ties between our countries, relations with the European Union, and other areas where we can find practical opportunities that benefit our peoples, as well as security issues," he said.

The overnight Russian attacks on Kyiv and its surrounding region left four people dead, including a child, even as Ukraine said it intercepted most of the drones launched at it. At the same time, Kyiv kept up its pressure on Russian oil infrastructure, while Zelenskyy used his Serbia visit to focus on economic and security talks.

With PTI Inputs

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