Russia is trying to break Kyiv with ballistic missile attacks – EU envoy

On August 5, European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová condemned Russia's ballistic missile attack targeting Kyiv, emphasizing that Moscow continues to prioritize civilian casualties. Mathernová highlighted the repetitive nature of these attacks, stating that residents barely have time to recover before another assault occurs. She specifically pointed out that during the attack on August 5, Ukraine's air defenses were unable to intercept any of the missiles launched by Russia.

The ambassador stressed the urgent need for Patriot interceptor missiles, which she deemed the most effective defense against ballistic missiles. She urged Ukraine to obtain these missiles to bolster its defense capabilities against the escalating aggression. Mathernová emphasized that normalizing war is unacceptable and lamented that future generations are growing up to the constant sound of air raid sirens, a stark indication of the abnormality of the current conflict.

On August 5, Russia launched a barrage of missiles comprising four Zircon/Onyx anti-ship missiles, 24 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, and 115 drones at Ukraine. Ukraine's air defenses were successful in neutralizing 98 drones. The attack resulted in at least 17 deaths and 44 injuries in Kyiv and its surrounding regions. Vitalii Bihun, head of the Brovary District Administration, reported that eight individuals waiting for a train at the Kvitneva railway station in Brovary were killed during the assault.

Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, also expressed his distress over the attack, describing it as "outright terror against civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure." He emphasized that only effective assistance from Western allies can halt this horror. Zaluzhnyi called for global action to address the situation, emphasizing that the world must respond to the ongoing crisis.