At Least Eight Killed in Russian Missile Strikes Across Ukraine

Russia launched a wave of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least eight people and injuring more than a dozen, according to local officials.

The strikes came just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing for a major attack.

In the central Ukrainian region of Kryvyi Rih, a ballistic missile hit a residential building, killing seven people, including two children, and injuring eight others, according to local authorities.

In the eastern region of Poltava, a drone strike on a warehouse killed one person, while in the western city of Lviv, another strike injured at least 15 people.

The capital city of Kyiv was also hit by a ballistic missile, killing one person and injuring at least two, according to the city’s military administration.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that several districts of the city were affected by the strikes and urged residents to remain in safe shelters due to the ongoing risk of further attacks.

President Zelensky had warned on Wednesday night that Russia was preparing for a major attack and urged citizens to take air raid warnings seriously.

He also reiterated his request for Ukraine’s partners to provide air defense systems, including Patriot missiles.

Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of producing Patriot missiles in Ukraine.

Trump reportedly expressed a positive attitude towards the idea, according to Zelensky.

The strikes come as Ukraine faces a shortage of Patriot missiles, which it considers the most effective defense against Russian ballistic missiles.

The global demand for Patriot systems has increased since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran in February, making it harder for Ukraine to obtain the necessary missiles.