Russian strikes kill six across Ukraine, wound dozens as air alert sirens lag behind explosions

A night of explosions and delayed sirens

The Russian barrage began around 3:38 am local time on Saturday, when ballistic missiles struck Kyiv. Official air raid sirens were not activated until 3:40 am, roughly two minutes after the first detonations, giving residents virtually no time to reach shelters. The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia fired six Iskander-M or S-400 ballistic missiles from the Bryansk region, six tactical cruise missiles, and 121 drones. Ukrainian defenders shot down two cruise missiles and 111 drones, but all six ballistic missiles breached the perimeter.

Civilian infrastructure was hit even before the air raid alert was issued.

President Volodymyr Zelensky later added that emergency crews were working at sites across the capital, including apartment buildings, offices and a theological seminary.

Our defenders managed to shoot down most of the targets, but not the ballistic ones.

Damage across the capital

In Kyiv, at least 11 civilians were wounded, including an 11-year-old boy. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a transformer substation caught fire in the Darnytskyi district, and a three-storey office building burned in the Solomianskyi district.

A transformer substation is on fire in the Darnytskyi district, and a three-storey office building is burning in the Solomianskyi district.

Emergency services also contained a 4,000-square-metre blaze at a regional infrastructure facility. Railway equipment, commercial warehouses and a pharmacy suffered structural damage.

Strikes across the country

Beyond Kyiv, a Russian guided aerial bomb hit the northern city of Sumy, killing four people including a young girl, according to mayor Artem Kobzar. In the southern port city of Odesa, a separate missile strike killed two and wounded one, regional governor Oleg Kiper said. In Kharkiv, a drone attack on a civilian enterprise left seven wounded. Altogether, the overnight strikes killed six people and wounded dozens across four regions.

Exhausted air defences

Ukraine’s ability to intercept ballistic missiles has been severely degraded. Patriot air defence batteries have been switched to manual operation to conserve dwindling interceptor stocks, according to local media. Ukraine has pleaded for faster delivery of munitions and longer-term production licences. US President Donald Trump said this week that Ukraine would be granted a licence to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles, though technical details are still pending. At a NATO summit in Ankara this week, members pledged €70 billion in military aid for 2026, with commitments to sustain equivalent levels in 2027. Zelensky urged allies to turn those promises into real action as swiftly as possible.

Ukraine hits back at sea

In parallel, Ukraine’s drone forces escalated attacks on Russian logistics. Drone forces chief Robert Brovdi said his units struck 21 fuel tanker vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight on Saturday, as well as seven other cargo and support ships, bringing the total to 76 vessels struck this week. Russia’s defence ministry reported that its air defences shot down 178 Ukrainian drones overnight over eight Russian regions, Crimea, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, with no damage to critical infrastructure.