Zelenskyy Demands Air Defense Systems After Missiles Kill One in Kyiv Dorm
One person died and at least 10 were injured when Russian attacks hit the State University of Trade and Economics late on October 26, days before a US-negotiated truce begins in the east.
By Peter Graham ·
A wave of Russian air attacks struck Kyiv late on October 26, targeting civilian infrastructure and a major university housing facility. The strikes occurred just before a US-negotiated cease-fire scheduled to begin in the eastern city of Oleshky.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that at least 10 people were injured in the assault. He noted that most of the injured were students from a university dormitory. At least one person was killed in the attacks.
The facility hit was the State University of Trade and Economics, or SUTE. It is one of Kyiv's largest institutions, with more than 15,000 students enrolled. The strikes also affected other civilian sites across the capital.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the attacks by urging international partners to provide what he called the proper tools for air defense. He stated that artificial delays in supplying these systems help terror by allowing strikes to continue at any moment. Zelenskyy specifically emphasized the need for systems capable of destroying Russian ballistic missile launchers to save lives.
This diplomatic push coincides with legislative friction in Washington. A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is pressing the White House to strengthen support for Ukraine. They are challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian energy imports. Lawmakers have demanded guarantees that Kyiv will retain access to critical American military and intelligence support.
Tensions have risen after the US administration authorized transactions involving Russian diesel fuel. This move followed reports that Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starlink and military-grade Starshield satellite communications had been restricted. Ukrainian officials said these disruptions affected military operations, though they reported that connection speeds had been restored in recent days.
Zelenskyy has called for increased supplies of Patriot missiles for several months. He said last week that Ukraine is still waiting for previously agreed deliveries of interceptors for these air-defense systems. Russian officials continue to deny that they are targeting civilian infrastructure, despite the ongoing full-scale invasion that began in February 2022.
Source: RFE/RL
