Russian missile, drone barrage kill 16 in Ukraine

Kyiv, Aug 20: Russia pounded the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the surrounding region with scores of missiles and drones in a nighttime aerial attack that lasted for hours and killed at least 16 people, officials said Thursday. Moscow’s forces have in recent months intensified their ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, exploiting Ukraine’s chronic shortage of US-made Patriot air defence interceptors, the sole weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down ballistic missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded for countries to send more Patriot interceptors, but international stockpiles are low amid the Iran war and Ukraine’s more than…