Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for the establishment of a domestic production facility for Patriot air-defence missiles following a massive Russian attack on Kyiv that killed more than 20 people.
"To reliably protect lives, we need our own production," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, speaking about European manufacturing projects in Ukraine entering into partnership with allied countries.
Ukraine's allies have supplied the country with air-defence systems including the US-made Patriot batteries and Germany's IRIS-T systems.
But the missiles used by these systems are costly and in short supply.
The shortage has been exacerbated by the war with Iran launched by US President Donald Trump and Israel, and is increasing global demand for advanced air-defence munitions.
Zelenskiy said he hopes the United States will allow Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles under licence.
Ukraine's defence ministry on Thursday described the interception of ballistic missiles as a major challenge because of dwindling stocks of Patriot interceptors.
The ministry said Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov had recently contacted nearly 40 partner countries to request deliveries of Patriot missiles from their existing inventories in exchange for future replacement shipments already agreed upon.
Russia has waged a full-scale war against Ukraine for more than four years.
Ukrainian authorities said a large-scale overnight attack on Kyiv killed at least 25 people and injured more than 100 others as Russia launched rockets, cruise missiles and drones at the city.
Seventy people had to be taken to hospital.
In the evening rescue workers were still searching through the rubble for survivors and more victims.
Russia asserted that the targets hit late on Wednesday and Thursday morning were purely military.
However, several residential buildings were destroyed in the barrage while a hotel and the building of a telecoms provider in the city centre were also hit.
Several internet service providers reported disruptions.
The Kyiv Independent described the attack as one of the heaviest since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Residents in Kyiv took shelter in metro stations, with many spending the entire night underground in tents.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a 10-year-old boy was among those seriously injured in the capital.
"His parents were not found among the rubble," Klitschko wrote on Telegram, adding that the boy's grandfather was with him in hospital, where the child was undergoing surgery.
Klitschko announced a day of mourning in Kyiv for Friday.
He said that damage was recorded across the city of about three million, with some buildings heavily damaged.
with Reuters