Russian raids kill 4 as Zelensky pleads for air defence systems

Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine overnight into Saturday killed at least four people and wounded 20, officials said, and prompted fresh pleas from Ukraine's president for Western air defence systems.

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In the capital, Kyiv, two people were killed and 13 were wounded in a ballistic missile attack in the early hours of Saturday, Kyiv’s police said.

A fire broke out in a nonresidential building in one location, while debris from intercepted missiles fell in an open area at another site, damaging windows in nearby buildings, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service wrote on the message app Telegram.

“Explosions in the capital. The city is under ballistic attack,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram during the onslaught.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were killed and seven wounded, acting regional Governor Vladyslav Haivanenko said, adding that apartment buildings and private homes were damaged in the strikes.

Ukraine's air force said Russia launched nine missiles and 62 drones, of which four missiles and 50 drones were intercepted.

In Russia, the Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 121 Ukrainian drones over Russia overnight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that such attacks intensify Ukraine's need for Patriot defence systems.