Russia launches major ballistic missile attack on Kyiv and Kharkiv as casualty toll rises
Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine have killed at least four people and wounded at least 36, according to officials, in one of the heaviest recent attacks on Kyiv and other cities. The overnight barrage hit the capital, the eastern city of Kharkiv and parts of the Kyiv region, with damage reported to residential and non-residential buildings. Ukrainian officials said the assault involved ballistic missiles and drones, and that air defences intercepted a large number of incoming weapons.
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In Kyiv, one person was killed and 16 were injured, while in Kharkiv three people were killed and 20 wounded, officials said. The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 18 of 41 missiles launched at the capital and intercepted 108 drones. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the raid on Kyiv was one of the most massive ballistic attacks on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion began, and said the previous week had seen about 1,450 strike drones, more than 1,640 guided bombs and 99 missiles used against Ukraine.
The attack adds to the strain on Ukraine's air defences, which have been under sustained pressure from repeated Russian missile and drone waves. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said a postal terminal in the city's suburbs was attacked, and that three of the injured were in a serious condition. In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said both residential and non-residential buildings were damaged, while the Kyiv region also reported strikes overnight.
The scale of the assault matters because it shows how the war continues to combine battlefield fighting with long-range strikes on cities and infrastructure. Ballistic missiles are among the most difficult weapons for air defences to stop, and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned about shortages of interceptor missiles. The latest attack also comes as both sides continue to target energy and logistics assets, widening the impact beyond the immediate casualty figures.
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Zelensky also said Ukraine had carried out strikes on Russian targets, including three oil tankers in the Black Sea and fuel facilities in the southwestern Stavropol region. He said units of the security service hit three oil depots in Stavropol at the same time, while armed forces struck another fuel-sector facility in the region. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium said its terminal had been hit, two tankers were damaged and loading operations were suspended, although it reported no injuries or oil spills.
What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage in Kyiv, Kharkiv and the surrounding region, and whether the casualty figures will rise further as rescue work continues. Officials have not yet given a final assessment of how many impacts were direct hits and how many were caused by debris after interceptions. Further updates are expected as local and national authorities complete searches and assess the wider consequences of the strikes.
Russia carried out one of its largest ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv overnight into Sunday, killing at least one person and injuring at least 16, according to Ukrainian officials. The strike hit residential and non-residential buildings across the capital and caused damage in several districts. Officials said the barrage lasted for hours and involved a mix of missiles and drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 40 missiles of various types, while the Ukrainian air force said the attack involved 41 missiles and 125 drones. It said air defences shot down 18 missiles and intercepted 108 drones. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said residential buildings, warehouses, a supermarket and a dormitory were among the structures damaged, and that three people were in a serious condition.
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The attack is significant because it adds to mounting pressure on Ukraine's air defences at a time when officials say the country is short of Patriot interceptor missiles. Kyiv has been repeatedly targeted throughout the war, but officials described this as one of the most intense ballistic missile barrages on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion began. The scale of the damage also underlines the continuing risk to civilians in densely populated areas of the capital.
The latest strike came amid a broader pattern of intensified Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Zelenskyy said in the past week Russia had used about 1,450 strike drones, more than 1,640 guided bombs and 99 missiles of various types against Ukraine. Kyiv's acting foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, called for strong responses and described the overnight assault as a brutal terrorist attack on the Ukrainian capital.
Emergency workers were seen clearing smouldering debris and dousing fires at damaged sites in western Kyiv, while residents described the force of the blasts. One man said a blast tore off his balcony door and struck him in the head while he was inside his apartment. In another part of the city, an underground pedestrian passage near a frequently targeted metro station had caved in, leaving rubble behind.
The attack also fits into the wider exchange of strikes between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian forces said they had recently hit Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea and a terminal linked to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, while Russian officials reported drone-related fires in other regions. That pattern shows how both sides continue to target infrastructure and logistics as the war enters another phase of sustained long-range attacks.
Officials have not yet given a final assessment of the damage, and the casualty figures could still change as rescue work continues. It remains unclear how many impacts were direct missile strikes and how many were caused by debris after interceptions. Further updates are expected as city, regional and national authorities complete searches and assess the full extent of the destruction.
Russia carried out what Ukraine described as its largest ballistic missile attack on Kyiv since the start of the war, striking the capital early on Sunday and causing fires across six districts. One person was killed and at least 15 others were injured, according to local officials. The attack hit residential and non-residential areas, including homes, offices, industrial sites, a dormitory and vehicles.
Ukraine's foreign minister said the hours-long barrage involved the largest number of ballistic missiles fired at Kyiv since the full-scale invasion began. The State Emergency Service said rescue workers pulled four people from a burning private home in the Sviatoshynskyi district, while residents were rescued from a burning three-storey building in the Shevchenkivskyi district. Fires were also reported in the Solomyanskyi, Desnianskyi and Dnipro districts, and one person was later found dead.
The attack adds to mounting pressure on Ukraine's air defences at a time when officials say the country is short of Patriot interceptor missiles, which are among its main tools against ballistic weapons. It also comes amid domestic political tension after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy removed his defence minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle, prompting protests and criticism from some soldiers and commentators. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the strike a brutal attack on the Ukrainian capital and urged stronger pressure on Moscow.
The scale of the bombardment is significant because Kyiv has been repeatedly targeted throughout the war, but officials said this was one of the largest ballistic missile attacks on the city in recent months. The damage to homes, offices and industrial sites underlines the continuing risk to civilians in densely populated urban areas. It also highlights the strain on emergency services, which were deployed to multiple locations as fires spread across the capital.
The latest strike fits a broader pattern of intensified Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, including repeated waves of missiles and drones in July. Ukrainian officials have said Russia has stepped up ballistic missile use, while Kyiv has continued to call on Western partners for more advanced air defence systems. The shortage of interceptors has become a central concern because ballistic missiles are harder to stop than many other aerial threats.
Officials have not yet given a final assessment of the damage, and the casualty figures could still change as rescue work continues. It remains unclear how many impacts were direct missile strikes and how many were caused by debris after interceptions. Further updates are expected from city, regional and national authorities as emergency teams complete searches and assess the full extent of the destruction.
Russian missiles struck Kyiv and the surrounding region early on 19 July, killing at least one person and wounding 13 others, according to officials. The overnight barrage triggered fires in several districts of the Ukrainian capital and caused damage to homes, offices, warehouses and a metro station area. Emergency crews were sent to multiple locations as residents reported a prolonged series of explosions.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said fires broke out at a dormitory, an apartment building and a supermarket, while parked cars and office buildings were also set ablaze in different parts of the city. The city military administration said one person was killed in the attack, and rescuers later recovered a body from a three-storey building in the central Shevchenkivsky district. The State Emergency Service dispatched workers to three city districts, and the Kyiv region military administration said two more people were wounded there, with warehouses also damaged.
Ukraine's air force said the attack began with a ballistic missile threat and that air defences shot down 18 of 41 missiles launched overnight, along with 108 of 125 drones. It said 23 missiles and 10 drones hit 20 locations, with the capital as the main target. The scale of the barrage, which lasted for hours, underlines the continuing pressure on Ukraine's air defence system as Russian missile and drone attacks remain frequent.
The strike is significant because it hit the centre of government and administration in Ukraine at a time when the country has been warning of shortages in key air defence interceptors. Kyiv has repeatedly been targeted since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, but officials said this was one of the larger ballistic missile attacks on the city in recent months. The damage to civilian buildings, transport infrastructure and commercial premises adds to the strain on residents already living under near-daily alerts.
Witness accounts described a night of repeated sirens, explosions and falling debris. Residents in the historic centre reported that houses shook as missiles arrived in quick succession, while footage from Lukyanivska metro station showed damage in the ground-floor vestibule after a powerful blast wave. The station is temporarily closed, according to the reports, and workers were seen clearing smouldering debris from bombed-out apartments in the aftermath.
The attack also fits into a wider pattern of intensified Russian strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Ukrainian officials have said Russia has stepped up ballistic missile attacks, while Kyiv has urged Western allies to provide more advanced air defence systems, including Patriot interceptors, to improve protection against such weapons. The latest barrage again highlights the vulnerability of densely populated urban areas when large numbers of missiles are launched at once.
Officials have not yet given a full assessment of the total damage, and the number of casualties could still change as rescue work continues. It remains unclear how many of the reported impacts were caused by missiles that penetrated air defences and how many by falling debris. Further updates are expected from city and regional authorities as emergency teams complete searches and assess the extent of the destruction.
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