Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskyy seeks urgent air defence support after Kyiv university strike injures 12

A university campus, students and emergency workers responding to a missile strike, followed by another barrage while rescue operations are under way. That is the sequence Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described after a Russian attack on Kyiv, as he renewed calls for the United States and European allies to accelerate military assistance.

In a statement on Tuesday, October 27, Zelenskyy said the number of people injured in the strike on a university campus and the surrounding area had risen to 12, including five students and university staff. He said Russia had launched 16 ballistic missiles and more than 280 drones overnight, with attacks reported across multiple Ukrainian regions.

Reuters reported that the October 26 strikes killed at least one person and injured 10 in Kyiv, with damage to a university dormitory, residential buildings, a metro station and medical facilities. The reported casualty figures evolved as Ukrainian officials provided updates. The attack also damaged transport infrastructure and caused power outages in parts of the capital.

Why Zelenskyy says delayed air defence supplies are costing lives

The Ukrainian president’s central argument is that weapons already promised to Kyiv must arrive on time. He specifically pointed to delays in interceptor packages for the US-made Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems, saying the hold-ups were helping Russia carry out further attacks. "The artificial and prolonged delays in the delivery of interceptor packages for Patriot and NASAMS systems, which unfortunately have occurred recently, are directly helping Russia achieve the objectives of its terrorist campaign," Zelenskyy said.

Patriot systems are particularly important because they can engage certain ballistic missile threats that are difficult to intercept. NASAMS provides another layer of air defence against aircraft, cruise missiles and drones. Neither system can guarantee protection against every incoming weapon, making the availability of interceptors and the coordination of air defences crucial.

Last week, it was reported that Ukraine had faced shortages of Patriot missiles during a major Russian assault that damaged energy infrastructure and left more than 500,000 households without power. The latest appeal therefore comes against a backdrop of continuing pressure on Ukraine’s air defence capacity.

Russia’s strikes extend beyond Kyiv as infrastructure comes under pressure

Zelenskyy said attacks also affected the Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Sumy, Donetsk, Kherson and Chernivtsi regions. He said energy facilities, logistics networks and ordinary urban infrastructure were among the targets.

He also called on Ukraine’s partners to help it obtain weapons capable of destroying Russian ballistic missile launchers, arguing that preventing launches could save lives. Russia has repeatedly said its strikes target military and strategic facilities, while Ukrainian authorities have reported damage to civilian sites.

Putin signals possible talks, but Russia says it will pursue its objectives

The latest attacks come days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said an agreement with Ukraine remained possible. Speaking to Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin in remarks published on October 23, Putin said: "I think we can reach an agreement... But if someone wants it differently, fine, it will be different. But in any case, we will achieve our objectives, and all the goals of the special military operation will be achieved."

Putin had also reportedly agreed in principle to resume US-mediated trilateral contacts involving Russia and Ukraine, with discussions expected to address longer-term security arrangements. His comments, however, offered no indication that Moscow was abandoning its stated war aims.

Meanwhile, a local ceasefire began on October 27 around the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky to facilitate a humanitarian mission and possible civilian evacuations. The arrangement has not stopped attacks elsewhere.

For Kyiv, the challenge remains immediate: keeping civilians safe while diplomatic efforts continue. Zelenskyy’s message to allies is that negotiations alone cannot protect cities from the next missile strike; Ukraine needs air defence supplies and other military support to arrive without delay.

(With inputs from ANI)