Overnight Russian missile and drone attacks targeting Kyiv and the surrounding region have resulted in the deaths of four people, including a 3-year-old child. The strikes caused significant destruction, with a home in the Brovary district, northeast of Kyiv, reduced to rubble after being hit by multiple drones. Local officials confirmed that the 3-year-old boy and his grandparents were killed in the attack.
Three other members of the same family, along with a neighbor who arrived to assist them, were hospitalized with injuries. The assault also caused extensive damage to outbuildings and vehicles in the area. In the capital, at least one other person was killed during a separate strike involving six ballistic missiles aimed at civilian infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was in Belgrade for his first official visit to Serbia, addressed the ongoing violence during a press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Zelenskyy noted that the situation remains difficult, citing the constant barrage of ballistic missiles and attack drones targeting Ukrainian infrastructure.
During the visit, the two leaders discussed bilateral ties, security cooperation, and their respective efforts toward European Union integration. Vucic, who has maintained close relations with Moscow and resisted imposing sanctions on Russia, reiterated that Serbia respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine, a stance he confirmed would not change.
The attacks highlight a growing vulnerability for Ukraine as it struggles to counter Moscow’s four-year-old full-scale invasion. Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia is actively exploiting a critical shortage of interceptors for the U.S.-made Patriot systems, which are the only weapons in the Ukrainian arsenal capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.
The president stated that deliveries of these interceptors have slowed significantly, noting that there are fewer available in 2026 compared to the monthly supplies seen in 2025.
While Washington has agreed to allow Ukraine to manufacture its own Patriot interceptors, Zelenskyy reported that the initiative is currently stalled by extensive paperwork and licensing delays.
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia launched 151 drones overnight, of which 135 were intercepted. The attack also involved six ballistic missiles and various guided missiles. Data from the Ukrainian defense ministry released on Friday indicated that air defenses shot down approximately 5,300 drones and missiles last month, which accounts for just under 60% of the roughly 9,000 projectiles fired by Russia during that period.
In response to the ongoing bombardment, Zelenskyy has continued to plead with international partners for more ammunition and has sought permission to use Starlink satellite communications to guide long-range strikes against Russian missile launchers.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has intensified its own long-range operations, utilizing domestically developed weapons to strike Russian oil facilities. Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that its forces struck the Ilsky Oil Refinery in the southern Krasnodar region and the Syzran Oil Refinery in the Samara region, located more than 800 kilometers inside Russia.
In the Krasnodar region, local officials reported that six people were wounded when debris from a falling drone ignited a fire at the Ilsky facility.
In the Samara region, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed that an industrial enterprise was hit, though he did not specifically mention the refinery. These persistent Ukrainian strikes have caused fuel shortages and created significant pressure on the Kremlin.
