UKRAINE’S air force said today that it had intercepted five ballistic missiles launched by Russia in a wave of overnight attacks, although other missiles and drones got through and hit the capital Kiev.

It was the first time in almost two weeks that Ukraine said it had downed Russian ballistic missiles, which are harder to stop than drones or cruise missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Paris this week, announcing on Monday night that his country is forming a coalition with nine other nations that will build a shared ballistic missile shield for Europe. He said Ukraine and its partners could jointly develop a mass-produced, low-cost system in the next 12 months.

Mr Zelensky attended France’s annual Bastille Day celebrations today, receiving an ovation from European leaders. His country’s troops got the loudest cheers of the day from crowds along the Champs Elysees.

Today’s attack on Kiev caused fires at two warehouses and also damaged a school, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

The strike targeted military manufacturing facilities that produce long-range missiles and drones, according to a Russian Defence Ministry statement.

Ukraine’s air force said that one ballistic missile and 25 drones had struck 17 locations, while falling debris was reported in 10 locations.

The country kept up its long-range onslaught on Russian targets, especially oil facilities.

An attack in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region caused a fire at the Afipsky oil refinery that was later put out, authorities there said.

Mr Zelensky said that Ukraine had also hit an oil refinery in the city of Salavat in the Bashkortostan region, some 900 miles from the Ukrainian border.

In addition, the Ukrainian navy struck four Russian tankers operating as part of Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet, he said.