At least 32 people, including children, were killed in a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine on Wednesday, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy calling for stronger air-defence systems to protect civilians.

Reuters reported that the overnight attacks hit several parts of Ukraine, leaving about 100 people injured and causing extensive damage to residential and other infrastructure.

The northern city of Pryluky in the Chernihiv region recorded the heaviest casualties after a missile struck a five-storey residential building. Rescue workers searched through the rubble as emergency teams brought survivors out of the damaged structure.

Zelenskiy said Russia had fired about 70 missiles, including ballistic weapons, alongside dozens of Shahed drones. He described the assault as one of Russia’s most “vile strikes” and appealed for additional Patriot air-defence systems to help Ukraine counter ballistic missile attacks.

The Ukrainian leader also said Ukrainian forces had struck targets inside Russia, including oil facilities and a military training site. Russia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces had targeted Ukrainian military-industrial facilities. The latest attacks have added to concerns over Ukraine’s ability to defend its cities against increasingly heavy Russian bombardments.