Russia launches devastating missile barrage on Kyiv in retaliation for drone attacks

Russia has carried out a heavy overnight missile assault on Ukraine, killing at least 17 people in Kyiv alone, in what appears to be retaliation for recent Ukrainian drone strikes. The attack targeted civilian infrastructure including warehouses belonging to major Russian e-commerce companies, with Wildberries’ logistics hub being destroyed for the 14th time. Russian forces also struck Ukrainian retailers including a major do-it-yourself home improvement chain, broadening the scope of civilian targets.

Ukrainian air defences proved unable to intercept any of the incoming missiles during the assault. President Volodymyr Zelensky has made fresh pleas to Western allies for advanced air defence systems, emphasising the mounting civilian casualties. “People are being murdered,” he said in an appeal for greater military support.

In a separate incident with potential security implications, a car bomb explosion in Russia’s Yekaterinburg region has raised suspicions of an assassination attempt. The vehicle belonged to a senior manager at a Russian drone manufacturing facility, though details remain unclear about the circumstances and those responsible.

Germany has meanwhile reported concerning developments at Leipzig airport, where a suspected attack drone was found near a Ukrainian aircraft and its runway. German authorities are investigating whether a separate drone may have struck a DHL cargo plane, raising fresh concerns about the expanding geographical scope of the conflict.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.