Russian Missiles Hit Ukrainian Cities Amid Fears Over Air Defenses

Russia launched a combination of cruise and ballistic missiles at Ukrainian cities on Tuesday in a large volley that killed at least five people and wounded another 63, including children, according to local and military authorities. The assault added to concerns about the state of Ukraine’s air defenses as Russian barrages continue on its largest cities.

Ukraine’s air force said that 41 missiles had entered the country’s airspace early Tuesday. The Ukrainian authorities provide details of cruise missiles in flight, and residents can track them for about an hour as they fly from Russia. The ballistic missiles, which travel much faster, struck in Kyiv on Tuesday just as the cruise missiles arrived.

Yuriy Ihnat, an air force spokesman, said in a telephone interview that the military had intercepted only about half of the total barrage, and just five of the 24 ballistic missiles.

“Most of missiles were ballistic, and our air force can’t down them all,” Mr. Ihnat said.

In Kyiv, the capital, at least one missile appeared to detonate at ground level, residents said, although it was unclear whether it had evaded Ukraine’s air defenses or whether the warhead fell and blew up after the missile was destroyed in the air.

Concern has grown in Ukraine that air defense ammunition will run low as further military aid from the United States remains stalled in Congress. Mr. Ihnat said that the air force had not run out of ammunition in Tuesday’s assault, but that Ukraine did require a regular resupply.

He also said that not all of the missiles that evaded Ukraine’s defenses had hit their targets. “Many of them just fell in the fields, as Russian missiles’ quality has decreased,” he said.