11 July,2025 06:33 PM IST | Kyiv | mid-day online correspondent
Firefighters work near a damaged residential building following a night of Russian strikes in Kyiv. File Pic/AFP
A wave of Russian drone attacks reportedly struck the city centre of Kharkiv on Friday, injuring at least nine people and damaging a maternity hospital, Ukrainian officials stated, according to the AP.
In response, mothers with newborns were urgently evacuated to another facility, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
The incident is part of a sharp increase in Shahed drone attacks and missile strikes launched by Russia across Ukraine, prompting urgent calls for improved air defences.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, "There is no silence in Ukraine," emphasising the pressure on cities like Kyiv, which continues to endure near-daily aerial assaults, reported the AP.
The United Nations reported that June marked the highest monthly civilian casualties since the war began in February 2022, with 232 deaths and 1,343 injuries. The UN human rights mission in Ukraine also noted a tenfold increase in Russian drone and missile attacks compared to June 2024, the news agency reported on Friday.
As fierce battles continue along the 1,000-kilometre front line, Zelenskyy is pressing Ukraine's Western allies to follow through on their pledges.
Speaking after a summit in Rome, he said Ukraine urgently needs 10 more US-made Patriot systems and additional interceptor drones to counter the rising Russian threat. While Germany and Norway have pledged to buy and supply some systems, Zelenskyy stressed more international support is needed.
In a related development, former US President Donald Trump announced that the US is supplying Patriot systems to NATO allies, who will then provide them to Ukraine. He also hinted at a "major statement" on Russia set for Monday.
Meanwhile, a new bipartisan US sanctions bill could soon be introduced in the Senate, aiming to pressure countries like China and India - key buyers of Russian oil and gas -- by imposing a 500 per cent tariff on imports from those still trading with Russia.
Back home, Kyiv authorities unveiled a new defence initiative called Project Clear Sky, investing nearly USD 6.2 million to enhance drone interception capabilities.
The project will include training drone operators and setting up mobile response units.
Zelenskyy also revealed plans to potentially replace Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, with Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, in what appears to be a strategic diplomatic shift.
"We found a solution," Zelenskyy said of Ukraine's homemade interceptor drones. "Now we need financing. And then, we will intercept," as per the AP.
(with AP inputs)
