Russian missile strikes kill nine in Kyiv

On Saturday morning, Russian forces launched a series of ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, killing at least nine people and injuring 28 others, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. Multiple explosions were reported across the city, causing fires and power outages. Residential buildings in the Shevchenkivskyi, Darnytskyi, and Solomyanskyi districts were damaged, with people trapped under debris. A missile also landed near the Lithuanian embassy, shattering windows and scattering debris. The attack follows a recent escalation in Russian missile strikes on Kyiv and comes two days after a suspected Russian cruise missile landed in Poland during a broader attack on Ukraine that killed at least eight people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stressed the urgent need for missile interceptors, particularly MIM-104 Patriot systems, to defend against ballistic missiles. He recently met with US President Donald Trump in Washington to request authorization for Ukraine to produce MIM-104 Patriot missiles domestically. Trump indicated that the US had not yet approved the technology transfer, citing concerns about sharing advanced weaponry. Zelensky also held a phone call with US Vice-President JD Vance to discuss air defense priorities. In parallel, Ukraine has escalated its retaliatory strikes on Russian logistics targets, including warehouses of the online retailer Wildberries.