Russian missile, drone attacks kill four in Ukraine as Zelenskyy pleads for air defence
Kyiv (AP): Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine overnight into Saturday killed at least four people and wounded 20, officials said, and prompted fresh pleas from Ukraine's president for Western air defence systems.
In the capital, Kyiv, two people were killed and 13 were wounded in a ballistic missile attack in the early hours of Saturday, Kyiv's police said.
A fire broke out in a non-residential building in one location, while debris from intercepted missiles fell in an open area at another site, damaging windows in nearby buildings, Ukraine's State Emergency Service wrote on the message app Telegram.
“Explosions in the capital. The city is under ballistic attack,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram during the onslaught.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were killed and seven wounded, acting regional Gov Vladyslav Haivanenko said, adding that apartment buildings and private homes were damaged in the strikes.
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched nine missiles and 62 drones, of which four missiles and 50 drones were intercepted.
In Russia, the Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 121 Ukrainian drones over Russia overnight.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that such attacks intensify Ukraine's need for Patriot defence systems.
“It is precisely because of such attacks that we pay special attention to Patriot systems — to be able to protect our cities from this horror. It is critical that partners who possess relevant capability implement what we have discussed in recent days,” he wrote in English on X.
“America, Europe and the G7 countries can help ensure that such attacks no longer threaten lives,” he said.
Zelenskyy is hoping Ukraine can purchase 25 Patriots from the US to fortify its air defences, particularly in cities.
On Friday, he urged the United States to expand its sanctions on Russian oil from two companies to the whole sector, and appealed for long-range missiles to hit back at Russia.
Zelenskyy was in London for talks with two dozen European leaders who have pledged military help to shield his country from future Russian aggression if a ceasefire stops the more than three-year war.
The meeting hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer aimed to step up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding momentum to recent measures that have included a new round of sanctions from the United States and European countries on Russia's vital oil and gas export earnings.
The talks also addressed ways of helping protect Ukraine's power grid from Russia's almost daily drone and missile attacks as winter approaches, enhancing Ukrainian air defences, and supplying Kyiv with longer-range missiles that can strike deep inside Russia.
Zelenskyy has urged the US to send Tomahawk missiles, an idea US President Donald Trump has considered.
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's envoy for investment and economic cooperation, said Friday he believes Russia, the US and Ukraine were “quite close to a diplomatic solution” to end the three-year war.
Speaking to CNN after arriving in Washington for talks with US officials, Dmitriev said a planned summit in Budapest between Trump and Putin had not been cancelled but would likely occur later.
Trump said Tuesday his plan for a swift meeting with Putin was on hold because he didn't want it to be a “waste of time.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made clear in public comments Tuesday that Russia is opposed to an immediate ceasefire.
A White House official confirmed Friday that Dmitriev, who announced his visit on X, will meet with US envoy Steve Witkoff. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised to publicly discuss the private meeting.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
