Zelenskyy Urges U.S. for Patriot Missiles After Deadly Russian Strikes

A Direct Plea for Air Defense

The urgent appeal came just days after Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv. Over the weekend, those attacks injured more than 90 people across the country, underscoring the strain on Ukraine's air defenses.

Meanwhile, Russian forces have continued offensive operations. Moscow's defense ministry claimed its troops had captured additional settlements in Ukraine, though these reports could not be independently verified.

In the southern regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia, 21 people were wounded in Russian strikes, local authorities reported. The attacks are part of a sustained campaign that has targeted civilian infrastructure and urban centers.

Wider Conflict and Regional Pressure

Russia also reported a large-scale Ukrainian drone and missile attack on the port of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea. The city's governor said air defenses shot down more than 20 drones, while the defense ministry in Moscow stated that a total of 140 drones were intercepted overnight.

The exchange of fire extended beyond the immediate battlefield. Russia's UN ambassador described the significant damage to an ARD television studio in Kyiv as unintended collateral damage, following a recent strike on the Ukrainian capital.

In a separate development highlighting the broader regional tensions, Moscow is reportedly increasing pressure on Armenia ahead of its parliamentary elections. The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that Moscow threatened to terminate a favorable supply agreement for gas, oil products, and uncut diamonds if Armenia continues its rapprochement with the European Union. The 2013 contract allows for duty-free sales of key raw materials to Armenia.

Domestically, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree offering debt relief of up to 10 million rubles—approximately 139,700 dollars—to new military recruits and their families, according to the defense ministry. The move is seen as an effort to bolster enlistment.

In another unusual domestic measure, Russia passed a law permitting the central bank and other financial institutions to independently shoot down drones, a sign of the conflict's expanding impact on civilian and commercial life.