(CNN)--Ukraine announced that Russia launched one of the largest ballistic missile attacks since the start of its full-scale invasion more than four years ago, mainly targeting the capital Kyiv in a wide-ranging attack carried out overnight from Saturday to Sunday.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Moscow carried out a 'massive combined attack on Ukraine using attack drones and various types of missiles launched from air and ground,' confirming that the capital Kyiv was the main target.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: 'The enemy launched more than 40 missiles of various types, most targeting the capital, in addition to 120 attack drones.'

CNN correspondents in Kyiv reported that the bombardment was violent and intense, lasting about two hours during the night. One correspondent added that the smell of smoke was strong on Sunday morning, while the air raid alert remained in effect in the city.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Russia launched 'about 40 ballistic missiles,' describing it as 'the largest number of ballistic missiles since the beginning of the war.'

The Ukrainian Air Force added that air defense systems 'shot down or neutralized 126 targets, including 18 missiles and 108 drones.' However, it clarified that 23 missiles and 10 drones hit 20 different locations.

Images from Kyiv showed a huge crater left by one of the missiles, along with charred building fronts, while a large logistics warehouse suffered severe damage.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported strikes in five districts of the capital, noting one person killed and 16 others injured in Kyiv.

Across Ukraine, local authorities reported at least 16 civilians killed and 77 others injured in the past 24 hours from Russian missile and drone attacks, with most casualties in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.

In response, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed carrying out what it described as a 'massive strike' targeting 'defense industry facilities and logistics centers in the city of Kyiv,' and later added via Telegram: 'We are ready and continue to carry out tasks.'

The Russian strikes came after devastating Ukrainian drone attacks early Saturday targeted two logistics centers, resulting in the deaths of eight people.

Zelensky said: 'Protection against ballistic missiles is constantly our top priority. We need interceptor missiles every day, and I thank everyone who abides by our agreements and ensures the delivery of ballistic missile defense capabilities.'

Ukraine has repeatedly demanded more interceptor missiles capable of countering ballistic missiles, whose high speed and trajectory make them difficult to intercept, as they can re-enter the atmosphere at speeds several times the speed of sound.

Analysts say Russia has intensified the pace of combined missile and drone attacks aimed at destroying Ukrainian infrastructure.

Phillips O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, said: 'Bombing Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles has now become a preferred strategy for Russia, and we can expect to see more such attacks.'

In contrast, Ukraine's stocks of American Patriot missiles are dwindling, and these missiles are also seeing increased demand from US allies amid the ongoing conflict in the Gulf. Although the United States is working to ramp up production of this system, demand still outstrips supply.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump proposed that Ukraine produce Patriot missiles under license, but implementing this project could take months, possibly years.

Ukraine is also working with France and Italy on arrangements to produce missiles for the SAMP/T air defense system, though some analysts believe its performance has sometimes not matched that of the Patriot system.

According to Fabian Hoffmann of the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, the market for interceptor missiles capable of destroying ballistic missiles includes 'a limited number of suppliers, long delivery times, and unresolved questions about efficiency and capability.'

In response, Ukraine continued targeting Russian energy infrastructure, launching a new attack early Sunday on an export station that transports oil from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, operator of the station located on the Russian coast of the Black Sea, announced that two tankers were hit and oil loading operations were suspended, confirming no casualties. The same station had been attacked on Friday.

Ukraine also announced on Sunday that it used a naval drone to target an oil tanker in the Black Sea operating as part of what it calls Russia's 'shadow fleet,' stating that the tanker is called Avero and had entered the Black Sea on Thursday, but is not subject to US or EU sanctions, according to shipping tracking service MarineTraffic.

Three oil depots in southern Russia were also targeted, according to the Ukrainian Security Service.

Fighting in the Black Sea continued into Sunday evening, when Russian forces attacked the civilian cargo ship Golden Leo, owned by a Turkish company, according to the Ukrainian Navy.

The Navy said three missiles hit the starboard side of the ship, sparking a fire on board, while it was transporting a grain shipment that had departed from the port of Odesa.

The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority clarified that search and rescue operations continued throughout the night, resulting in 10 people killed, while eight crew members were rescued and brought ashore.