Russian forces launched a widespread missile and drone assault on Ukrainian cities overnight, resulting in at least eight fatalities and dozens of injuries, Ukrainian officials reported on Thursday. The attack marked the latest phase in a sustained campaign by Moscow targeting urban centers across Ukraine amid growing concerns over Kyiv’s diminishing air defense capabilities.

Data compiled by the Ukrainian Air Force indicates that Russia has deployed 126 ballistic missiles against Ukraine in July alone, exceeding the previous monthly record of 118 set in February. The increased missile activity underscores Moscow’s strategy to exploit weaknesses in Ukraine’s defensive systems.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attacks as striking regions throughout the country, including western Lviv and the eastern Dnipropetrovsk area. In Dnipropetrovsk, a family of five was killed when a ballistic missile destroyed their home; three of the victims were children. Two other children were rescued alive from the rubble, Zelensky stated via social media.

In a related development, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported that a Russian cruise missile breached Polish airspace overnight. While it remains uncertain whether the missile struck Polish territory, authorities in Poland confirmed the discovery of a crater approximately 10 yards wide, along with debris, in the country’s southeast. Previous incidents have seen Russian missiles briefly overfly Poland during strikes on western Ukraine but without impact. A confirmed attack on NATO territory could significantly escalate tensions between the alliance and Russia.

The recent barrage highlights Ukraine’s increasing susceptibility to Russia’s intensified missile bombardment as its stockpile of advanced air defense systems declines. Zelensky has repeatedly expressed concern over the shortage of Patriot missile interceptors, the most effective anti-ballistic missile systems supplied by Western allies. Despite urgent requests during his recent visit to the White House, the global availability of Patriot systems remains constrained due to multiple ongoing conflicts worldwide.

In response to limited supplies, Ukraine has improvised a patchwork of air defenses, deploying mobile teams armed with older machine guns to target low-flying drones, utilizing small drones to intercept larger ones, and launching fighter jet missiles against cruise missiles. Nevertheless, Russia’s ballistic missile strikes are challenging to counter without sophisticated systems like the Patriot. Recently, former U.S. President Donald Trump authorized Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors under license, though experts warn that developing production capabilities will require considerable time. Ukraine is also working on its own air defense systems, but their effectiveness against ballistic missiles remains uncertain.

Ukraine has maintained its own long-range strikes against targets in Russia, initially focusing on military sites and oil refineries before expanding to include commercial facilities. On Wednesday, a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, a major Russian e-commerce company, located south of Moscow, was reportedly hit, marking an extension of Kyiv’s campaign targeting civilian infrastructure linked to the Russian economy.