Ukraine Says It Shot Down Most of a Russian Missile and Drone Barrage

Ukraine said on Wednesday that its air defenses — drawing on stocks of anti-aircraft missiles recently replenished by its allies, including the United States — had shot down 29 of 30 missiles and exploding drones that Russia had fired at the country in an overnight barrage. It was one of the better rates of interception by Ukraine so far during the war.

And in Kyiv, the authorities said they had shot down an entire volley of missiles and exploding drones aimed at the capital as the devices approached or soared above the city. The aerial duel, between mostly Western-provided air defense systems and incoming Russian missiles, played out over the city shortly before 3 a.m.

Earlier in the year, Ukraine’s air defense ammunition had run perilously low. Commanders at some batteries said their missiles were being rationed, allowing Russian missiles to streak in unimpeded. Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky told a gathering on economic assistance for Ukraine that his country’s forces needed additional U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems.

The Biden administration has decided to give Ukraine one additional Patriot system, consisting of launchers, stocks of missiles and powerful radar antennas for finding targets. Other countries are also considering transferring Patriot launchers to Ukraine. Germany has organized the donation of 100 missiles from its stocks and those of Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway, of which 32 have been delivered so far, Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, said this week.

As the assault played out on Wednesday, flashes lit up the skyline and explosions rang out. One civilian was wounded by falling debris, the authorities said.

“The enemy launched another missile attack on the capital,” Kyiv’s military administrator said in a post on Telegram, the social networking site. Typical of recent Russian strikes, the attack combined several types of weapons, including drones and cruise missiles. The tactic is intended to overload Ukraine’s air defenses.