俄罗斯向基辅发动了一次大规模空中攻击，共发射115架无人机和24枚弹道导弹[1][2]。这次袭击造成21人死亡，数十人受伤[1][2]。尽管乌克兰防空部队成功拦截了多架无人机，但防空系统未能拦截任何弹道导弹[1]。民众将这场攻击称为战争中"最可怕的夜晚"[2]。
乌克兰领导人泽连斯基将此次人员伤亡直接归咎于缺乏爱国者防空系统的拦截导弹[1]。他表示，"弹道导弹拦截器本可以拯救今天被杀害的那些人"[1]。根据乌克兰防空部队的说法，爱国者拦截导弹需要至少两枚才能击落一枚入射弹道导弹[1]。俄罗斯在大规模空袭中平均使用20至30枚弹道导弹[1]，这意味着乌克兰需要大量拦截器才能有效应对。乌克兰军事专家伊万·斯图帕克用比喻形容了当前的困境："情况就像拥有兰博基尼但没有燃料"[1]。
Russia launched a massive aerial assault on Kyiv, firing 115 drones and 24 ballistic missiles in a single attack that killed 21 people and wounded dozens more.[1][2] Despite successfully intercepting many of the unmanned aircraft, Ukraine's air defense system failed to stop any of the incoming ballistic missiles, leaving the capital vulnerable to devastating strikes.[1][2]
The attack highlighted a critical shortage of air defense capabilities that President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly flagged as a matter of life and death. Zelensky stated: "Ballistic missile interceptors could have saved the lives of those killed today," underscoring how the lack of Patriot air defense system ammunition directly contributed to civilian casualties.[1] According to military specifications, Patriot interceptors require at least two missiles to bring down a single incoming ballistic missile, a constraint that amplifies the challenge facing Ukraine's stretched defenses.[1] The Patriot system has an operational range of approximately 160 kilometers.[1]
Ukraine's military struggles reflect a broader disparity in resources. Military expert Ivan Stupak captured the predicament bluntly, stating: "It's like owning a Lamborghini but having no fuel."[1] Russia continues to employ 20 to 30 ballistic missiles in each large-scale assault, a frequency that strains Ukraine's ability to respond.[1] Last week, former U.S. President Trump rejected suggestions that America had agreed to transfer Patriot production licenses, a technology transfer that could help Ukraine manufacture its own interceptors.[1]