Every Day of Air Defense Shortage in Ukraine Means Preventable Casualties — Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has called for urgent delivery of additional air defense systems and interceptor missiles following Russia's recent deadly attack on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih. At the site of the strike, which has reportedly burned for 9,000 square meters, rescue teams from seven regions and canine units have been working to extinguish the fire and search for survivors. The death toll has now risen to 16, with 130 people injured, including 23 children.

Zelenskyy emphasized that every day without adequate air defense in Ukraine results in preventable casualties. He stressed the need for daily decisions and effective support from the international community, stating that new supplies of ballistic missile interceptors and other missiles could help save lives. In response to the ongoing attacks, Russia launched further missile and drone strikes across Ukraine overnight.

In Kyiv, ballistic missile strikes damaged railway infrastructure, resulting in one fatality and one injury. In Zaporizhzhia, an FPV drone hit a city bus, injuring three people. Russian attacks also targeted regions including Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, Kherson, Chernihiv, and Mykolaiv, causing damage to residential buildings, energy infrastructure, railway systems, and civilian enterprises.