KYIV: Ukraine said that US-supplied Patriot surface-to-air missile systems downed all 10 Kinzhal ballistic missiles Russia fired at the country in its large-scale attack on Tuesday.
Kyiv earlier said Russia fired 99 missiles of different types on Ukraine -- aimed at the capital Kyiv and northeastern Kharkiv -- and that its air force shot down 72 of them.
Kinzhal missiles make up part of an arsenal of weapons that Putin has claimed were indestructible because of the speed at which they travel.
The attack prompted Ukraine to urge its Western allies to accelerate weapons deliveries.
"Today, the Ukrainian air force downed 10 out of 10 Russian 'Kinzhal'... aeroballistic missiles with the help of the Patriot AD system," the Ukrainian army's commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny said on social media.
"This is a record. If the missiles hit their targets, the consequences would be catastrophic."
He thanked Ukraine's Western allies for supplying the weapons, adding: "There is no reason to believe that the enemy will stop here. Therefore, we need more systems and munition for them."
Ukraine has repeatedly said the Patriot air defence system is vital to defending the country from Russia.
Kyiv has urged for more Western military support, worrying about war fatigue in some countries as the conflict drags on for almost two years.
Russia's missile attack on Ukraine on Tuesday killed at least five people and wounded dozens in Kyiv and Kharkiv.
The attack came the day after Russian leader Vladimir Putin vowed to intensify strikes on Ukraine and amid a sharp escalation from both sides in recent days.
Meanwhile, deadly strikes hit residential buildings in Ukraine and a Russian border region on Tuesday as an escalation of aerial attacks also wounded dozens and prompted Kyiv to urge speedier Western weapons shipments.
The bombardment of Kyiv and northeastern Kharkiv came less than 24 hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to step up strikes following an unprecedented Ukrainian attack on the Russian city of Belgorod.
A fresh Ukrainian strike on Russia's border Belgorod region killed at least one person on Tuesday and wounded five, the local governor said.
Moscow claimed to have struck only targeted military installations, but Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said Russia is deliberately hitting critical infrastructure and residential neighbourhoods.
Tuesday's attacks came after an escalation in the war in recent days.
Moscow attacked Ukraine with a barrage of drones on New Year's Eve.
Ukraine is seeking assurances from its backers that military aid will continue as any new budget for support is stalled. — AFP
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