Kyiv, 05 August (H.S.):

At least 17 people were killed and more than a dozen others injured in overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and surrounding areas. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles and four anti-ship missiles during the night. In its statement, the Air Force, for the first time, did not mention intercepting any of the incoming missiles.

According to Ukrainian military sources, the country’s stockpile of missile interceptors has been significantly depleted.

A CNN report stated that at least 377 civilians were killed and 2,129 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine in July. It was the highest monthly civilian casualty figure recorded since April 2022. July became the deadliest month of Russian offensive operations amid the ongoing war, which has continued for more than four years.

The latest overnight Russian attack appeared to be a response to Ukraine’s strikes on Wildberries, a Russian e-commerce company. Ukraine had recently targeted warehouses belonging to the company.

Russia targeted warehouses, logistics facilities and other infrastructure sites in Kyiv and nearby areas. Several industrial buildings suffered extensive damage in the attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the primary targets of the strikes were warehouses connected to civilian businesses.

Zelenskyy said that a brewery, hardware store warehouses, a railway station and other infrastructure facilities were among the locations hit in the attacks.

Ukraine’s Emergency Service said on Wednesday, “Rescue workers are operating under dangerous conditions. The threat of further attacks from Russia remains.”

Russia’s Defence Ministry said the strikes involved ground-launched precision-guided weapons and long-range attack drones. Zelenskyy once again appealed to Ukraine’s allies to provide the necessary military equipment to help intercept Russian missiles.

He said Ukraine is facing a shortage of U.S.-made interceptors for the Patriot missile systems, which remain the only defence systems capable of countering certain advanced ballistic missiles.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar