Russia hits Ukraine with one of the largest ballistic barrages of the war
Russia fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight into Sunday in one of the heaviest attacks since the start of its full-scale invasion more than four years ago.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Russia's attack on Ukraine involved more than 40 missiles of various types and 120 attack drones, causing damage to residential buildings, a supermarket, and a dormitory in Kyiv. Ukraine's air force shot down 18 of the 41 missiles, but the country is running low on U.S.-made Patriot interceptors, its best defense against ballistic missiles.
Russia fired a lot of missiles at Ukraine, causing damage to buildings and hurting people. Ukraine is running out of special missiles that can shoot down the Russian missiles, and it needs help from other countries to get more.
Analysis
A Heavily Armed Attack on Ukraine's Capital
Russia's attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, was one of the heaviest since the start of the full-scale invasion more than four years ago. The attack involved more than 40 missiles of various types and 120 attack drones, causing significant damage to residential buildings, a supermarket, and a dormitory. Ukraine's air force shot down 18 of the 41 missiles, but the country is running low on U.S.-made Patriot interceptors, its best defense against ballistic missiles.
The Interceptor Shortage
Ukraine's shortage of Patriot interceptors has worsened since the war with Iran, which drained U.S. and allied Patriot stocks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs 300 Patriots for the coming winter. The U.S. has agreed to let Ukraine produce the missiles under license, but the arrangement has not been finalized. Meanwhile, nine European countries have agreed to back a Ukrainian effort to build a homegrown anti-ballistic system, and France is licensing Ukraine to produce its Aster interceptors.
The EU's Sanctions Package
Ukrainian officials have pressed the EU to break its deadlock over a new sanctions package. The package would blacklist 250 more people tied to the war and hit additional banks and ships used to smuggle Russian oil. Ukraine has kept up its own strikes on Russia's energy sector, hitting three oil depots in Russia's Stavropol region on Sunday and striking three tankers from Russia's shadow fleet in the Black Sea.
Key points
- Russia fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight into Sunday.
- Ukraine's air force shot down 18 of the 41 missiles, but the country is running low on Patriot interceptors.
- Ukraine needs 300 Patriots for the coming winter, and the U.S. has agreed to let Ukraine produce the missiles under license.
- Nine European countries have agreed to back a Ukrainian effort to build a homegrown anti-ballistic system.
- The EU's sanctions package is stuck in a deadlock, with Austria and Greece holding out over unrelated demands.
If the EU can agree on a new sanctions package, it could put more pressure on Russia to end the war and help Ukraine get the interceptors it needs to defend itself.
The ongoing conflict and shortage of interceptors could lead to more civilian casualties and damage to Ukraine's infrastructure, making it harder for the country to recover.