A fresh wave of Russian ballistic missile strikes hit Ukraine's capital early Saturday, leaving at least nine people dead and 23 others injured as Kyiv faced another night of destruction while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued pushing for stronger military support from the United States.
Ukraine's state emergency service said fires broke out and buildings were damaged across five districts of Kyiv after the attack, forcing emergency teams to respond to multiple scenes. More than a dozen explosions echoed across the city as authorities urged residents to remain inside bomb shelters.
“Fires and destruction occurred in five districts of the capital,” the state emergency service posted, adding that another 23 people were wounded in the attack.
The latest assault came at a time when uncertainty remains over Ukraine's efforts to strengthen its air defence systems.
During a cabinet meeting at Camp David, US President Donald Trump appeared to step back from earlier remarks suggesting Ukraine could be allowed to manufacture Patriot air defence interceptors locally. The missiles are among the weapons Kyiv says it urgently needs to defend against continued Russian attacks.
Earlier this week, Zelenskyy met Trump and later said the US leader had agreed to license the production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine. However, Trump later told reporters that no such agreement had been reached.
“We have not agreed to that. We’re talking about it, but it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology.”
Trump also warned about the risks of sharing advanced military technology.
“People that you give that technology [to], they can someday turn on you. You know that is possible.”
As discussions over air defence continued, Zelenskyy also appealed for wider access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service to support military operations inside Russia.
According to a person familiar with the matter, Zelenskyy raised the issue directly with Trump during their Oval Office meeting this week. He later repeated the request while meeting lawmakers on Capitol Hill, asking Washington to help secure permission for Starlink to guide strikes inside Russian territory.
Trump did not commit to the request. Starlink is currently available for use inside Ukraine, including areas under Russian occupation, but access remains restricted within Russia.
Back home, Zelenskyy is also facing growing pressure after dismissing defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov during a government reshuffle in mid-July.
Thousands of people gathered in central Kyiv on Friday, demanding that Fedorov be returned to office. He has been widely credited with leading military innovation during the war after taking over the ministry in January. Protesters have continued assembling near the presidential office after Fedorov declined another government position.
The conflict has also raised fresh concerns over global food supplies.
Russia's Union of Grain Exporters and Producers warned on Friday that Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian ports and ships in the Black Sea could disrupt grain exports, driving food prices higher and worsening hunger across Africa and the Middle East.
The group said the disruption to shipping caused by Ukrainian attacks “poses a direct threat to global food security”.
Russia and Ukraine, both major agricultural exporters, have stepped up attacks on each other's facilities and vessels in the Black Sea in recent weeks, contributing to rising wheat prices.
Meanwhile, Russian online retailer Wildberries accused Ukraine of carrying out repeated drone strikes against its facilities.
Founder and chief executive Tatyana Kim said the attacks amounted to “acts of terrorism” against civilians and claimed they had affected millions of customers in Russia and other countries.
Ukraine has targeted more than a dozen Wildberries sites since July 18, saying the company supports Russia's war effort and plays a key role in the country's economy.