KYIV, July 11 (Reuters) – Russia pummelled Ukraine’s capital with ballistic missiles early on Saturday, injuring at least 10 people, officials said, as Kyiv awaits fresh supplies of air defence munitions amid a shortage that has left it exposed to Russian attacks.
A Reuters witness heard a series of powerful explosions in the city in the small hours of the morning before the air alert was announced.
Russia launched six ballistic missiles, another six cruise missiles and 121 drones, Ukraine’s air force said, adding that it downed at least two cruise missiles and 111 drones.
Ukraine, which is critically low on munitions for its Patriot air defence systems, has been largely unable to down ballistic missiles, which travel at several times the speed of sound, over the past month.
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.
Saturday’s attack damaged a non-residential building in one district, while smoke was coming from another, and an office building was in flames as a result of the strike, the city’s military administration said on the Telegram messaging app.
A transformer substation was on fire as well, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko, while windows were blown out in some residential buildings.
The Air Force said 11 locations were hit in total across Ukraine.
(Reporting by Yulia Dysa and Max Hunder in Kyiv; Editing by William Mallard and Tomasz Janowski)
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