NEW DELHI: At least 13 people were killed and dozens injured after Russia launched a major overnight missile and drone assault on Kyiv and surrounding areas, Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday. The attack struck several parts of the Ukrainian capital, damaging residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, including a children’s hospital and an educational facility.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia used a combination of ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles, along with 168 drones, in the large-scale overnight assault. The strikes triggered fires and caused buildings to collapse in several districts of Kyiv, while emergency teams continued rescue and recovery operations.

The latest attack has renewed concerns over Ukraine’s increasingly serious air-defence shortages. Kyiv has repeatedly appealed to its Western allies for additional interceptor missiles, particularly for U.S.-made Patriot air-defence systems, which are among the few systems capable of countering Russia’s ballistic missile threat.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the scale of the attacks demonstrated the urgent need for stronger air-defence support. He argued that Russia would have less incentive to continue its attacks if Ukraine had sufficient systems to protect its cities from ballistic missiles.

Ukraine’s air-defence challenge has become more pronounced as Russia has increased the frequency and scale of its aerial attacks. Earlier this month, Ukrainian officials said the country had faced a critical shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, leaving parts of the capital particularly vulnerable to ballistic missile strikes.

The latest bombardment also had repercussions beyond Ukraine. Poland activated its air-defence measures and deployed aircraft in response to the threat posed by the attacks near its border. Romania also reported aerial targets near its territory and scrambled aircraft after a drone entered its airspace.

Russia, meanwhile, said its strikes targeted Ukrainian defence-related facilities, including sites involved in drone-component production and military logistics. Moscow has continued to describe its attacks as targeting military and defence infrastructure, while Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of striking civilian areas.

The attack comes amid an intensification of aerial warfare between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides conducting increasingly large-scale drone operations. Ukraine has also stepped up long-range strikes against Russian military, energy and logistics targets.

For civilians in Kyiv, however, the continuing attacks have meant renewed reliance on underground shelters and metro stations. Residents have increasingly sought protection underground as the frequency of missile and drone attacks rises and concerns grow over the ability of existing air-defence systems to intercept incoming ballistic missiles.

The latest casualties are likely to increase pressure on Ukraine’s international partners to accelerate deliveries of Patriot interceptors and other air-defence systems. With Russia continuing to expand its missile and drone attacks, Kyiv faces a growing challenge in protecting major cities and critical infrastructure from sustained aerial bombardment.