Russian missiles and drones pound Ukraine in ‘savage’ 12-hour attack

By Dr MASIMBA MAVAZA

Ukraine’s limited air defences fought to repel a large-scale Russian air attack in the early hours of Sunday, but four people were killed and several buildings in Kyiv and its outskirts were destroyed or damaged, according to officials.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the “massive Russian attack” on Ukraine lasted for more than 12 hours, calling it “savage” and “deliberate, targeted terror against ordinary cities.”

He said Russia had fired nearly 500 attack drones and more than 40 missiles, including ballistic missiles.

The barrage came as peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow stalled over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand for Ukraine’s complete capitulation.

Sirens howled before dawn on Sunday, and residents dashed for shelter as Russian drones swarmed the Ukrainian capital.

Explosions shook walls and rattled windows as they hit their targets or were intercepted by anti-aircraft fire over the city of 4 million people.

Cruise and ballistic missiles followed as the bombardment continued until morning, when black smoke could be seen over Kyiv.

Kyiv, along with the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv and Odesa, were the main targets of the strikes.

Ukrainian authorities said a 12-year-old girl was among those killed when a five-storey residential building in Kyiv was struck.

Across Ukraine, at least 40 people were injured, including children.

The threat of missiles and drones also forced Poland to briefly close part of its airspace near two of its south-eastern cities, Lublin and Rzeszów, as its air force scrambled jets in response to Russia’s latest attack on its neighbour.

The Polish military later said no violation of its airspace was detected and thanked the Dutch air force and German army for their assistance.

“This is exactly how Russia declares its true position. Moscow wants to keep fighting and killing, and it deserves the toughest pressure from the world,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday.

He urged nations seeking peace to support US President Donald Trump’s efforts and halt Russian imports.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine still needs more air-defence systems despite receiving an Israeli-made Patriot battery refurbished in the US that became operational this month.

Two more Patriot systems are expected to arrive this autumn, but he stressed more were required to cover the whole country.