KYIV – Russia continued its weeks-long missile and drone offensive against Kyiv and the surrounding region on Wednesday, killing four people, including a child. The strikes hit energy infrastructure and a major internet exchange point, Ukrainian officials said.
The sharp increase in Russian air attacks since late August is placing additional strain on Ukraine ahead of winter. Moscow has repeatedly targeted power facilities during the colder months, disrupting access to heat and running water for civilians.
Ukrainian officials say Russia has shown little interest in U.S.-backed efforts to end the war, now in its 4 ½ year since Moscow invaded its neighbor. The Kremlin says it is seeking a broad, lasting agreement instead of a short-term ceasefire, but its demand that Ukraine give up territory remains unacceptable to Kyiv.
In Vyshhorod, a city in the wider Kyiv region, a child died after a private residence was hit. Three other people were pulled alive from the wreckage, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration.
Russian forces have taken advantage of weaknesses in Ukraine’s air defenses, using ballistic missiles and newly deployed jet-powered drones that are especially difficult to intercept. The frequent air raid warnings have disrupted everyday life and weighed on the economy as residents rush to shelters.
Authorities said three people were killed in Kyiv and at least four others were injured. Another person died in an area near the capital.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said energy facilities in Kyiv and the surrounding region were the primary targets. Calling the overnight barrage “a difficult attack,” he said Russia was continuing to test Ukraine’s air defense network.
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to countries that have recently supplied Ukraine with additional air defense equipment. “And the closer we get to winter, the more of this protection we need,” he wrote on social media. “We must do everything to ensure that Russia’s bet on ballistic missile and drone terror does not pay off.”
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said Russia launched 2,850 jet-powered drones at Ukraine during August. By Tuesday, the number fired in September had already reached 3,177.
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Ihnat told Ukrainian television that the attacks have arrived in repeated waves, with Kyiv and the surrounding area bearing much of the focus. He said Ukraine urgently needs more interceptor missiles for U.S.-supplied Patriot systems, which are designed to counter ballistic threats, as well as additional ground-based air defenses.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its overnight operation struck a hydroelectric plant, a thermal power station, an electrical substation, an energy storage site and a data center.
Ukrainian officials did not confirm those specific claims. They said civilian locations in at least four districts of Kyiv were hit.
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Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.
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