Russian strikes kill eight, wound dozens, Ukraine's Zelenskiy seeks faster weapons deliveries
Escalating Russian Attacks and Ukraine's Response
By Max Hunder
Missile and Drone Strikes Across Ukraine
KYIV, July 11 (Reuters) - Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Ukraine on Saturday, killing eight people and wounding dozens more, officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for diplomatic efforts to ensure Kyiv secured weapons more quickly.
Kyiv awaited supplies of air defence munitions amid a shortage that has left it exposed to Russian attacks.
Sumy and Zaporizhzhia Under Fire
Two glide bombs hit a crowded area in the northern city of Sumy, a frequent Russian target, killing five people and injuring 30, authorities said.
One bomb hit a bus stop and pictures showed a yellow bus with one of its sides ripped off. Other pictures posted online showed damage to apartment building facades.
In a border district of Sumy region, where the Kremlin wants to expand a buffer zone, a local official said a man was killed after stepping on an explosive device
Glide bombs also injured 10 in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, the regional governor said.
Odesa and Kharkiv: Continuing Threats
Two people were killed and another wounded earlier in the day by a missile strike on the southern port city of Odesa.
Earlier on Saturday, a drone hit a civilian enterprise in the eastern city of Kharkiv, wounding seven.
Attacks in Russian-Controlled Donetsk
The head of Russian-controlled areas of Donetsk region in Ukraine's east, Denis Pushilin, said one person was killed when a drone hit his car and nine were injured when a bus came under a drone attack near the Sea of Azov.
Zelenskiy's Call for Faster Weapons Deliveries
Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, said Ukraine needed its allies to ensure weapons supplies were provided more promptly.
"I am preparing changes in Ukraine's diplomatic efforts. We need a new level of cooperation with our partners to ensure that agreements on arms supplies are fulfilled," Zelenskiy said.
"Agreements reached by national leaders must be implemented much more quickly and completely."
Patriot Missile Agreement
This, he said, applied to an agreement reached with U.S. President Donald Trump this week to grant Ukraine a licence to produce its own Patriot interceptor missiles.
Ukraine is critically low on munitions for its Patriot air defence systems and has been largely unable to down ballistic missiles, which travel at several times the speed of sound, over the past month.
It has pleaded with allies for greater supplies of those munitions and has also pushed Europe to work with Kyiv on its own anti-ballistic air defence system.
New Overnight Attack on Kyiv
Details of the Attack
Twelve people, meanwhile, had been wounded in the capital Kyiv during an overnight attack that used ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones.
"Civilian infrastructure was hit even before the air raid alert was issued," Zelenskiy said earlier of the attacks on Kyiv. "Our defenders managed to shoot down most of the targets, but not the ballistic ones."
Scale of the Assault
Russia launched six ballistic missiles, another six cruise missiles and 121 drones in the overnight attacks including against Kyiv, Ukraine's air force said on Saturday morning, before the strikes on Odesa, Kharkiv and Sumy took place.
It said it downed at least two cruise missiles and 111 drones.
Impact on Kyiv and Ukrainian Countermeasures
Russia has stepped up attacks on the capital in recent weeks. So far this month, strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region have killed more than 60 people.
Kyiv, in turn, has been pressuring Russia's military logistics in occupied southern Ukraine, seeking to deprive Russian forces of fuel and munitions by conducting strikes on trucks and vessels deep behind the front lines.
Ukrainian Drone Campaign
Ukraine's drone forces chief Robert Brovdi said his units had struck 21 fuel tanker vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight, as well as seven other cargo and support ships, bringing the total number of vessels struck this week to 76.
Zelenskiy has said the aim of the drone campaign is to bring Russia to the negotiating table, although Russia's Vladimir Putin has not yet shown any willingness to soften his position.
Russian Response in Taganrog Bay
One person was killed in a drone attack on four vessels, including a tanker carrying methanol, in Taganrog Bay on the Sea of Azov, Russian authorities said on Saturday.
(Reporting by Max Hunder in Kyiv; Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Barbara Lewis, Joe Bavier, Ron Popeski and Chizu Nomiyama)
