Russian ballistic missiles strike Kyiv defense expo, killing 10 and injuring 100; employee of Polish firm among dead

Daytime missile attack on Kyiv Oblast exhibition

At 11:25 local time on 24 July (10:25 in Poland), an air raid alert was triggered across Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast as Russian ballistic missiles approached from the north. Ukraine's Air Force had warned of high-speed targets moving toward the capital region. The missiles struck a training ground where the "Critically Protected" Defense Demo Day & Defense Expo was underway. Organized by the ARMADA association of unmanned systems producers, the event showcased integrated solutions for shielding critical infrastructure from aerial threats. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed a rescue operation was in progress, with initial reports of six dead and dozens wounded.

A rescue operation is underway in Kyiv Oblast after the Russian missile attack. Dozens of people are known to have been injured. (…) Unfortunately, six people have died.

Rising death toll and Polish connection

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko later revised the casualty figures: 10 people killed and about 100 injured. Rescue services worked into the evening to extract survivors and treat the wounded. Among the dead was an employee of a Polish defense company operating in Ukraine, Defence24 first disclosed, and Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the information. The worker was not a Polish citizen. The Ukrainian Council of Arms Producers released a statement on Facebook:

Today in Kyiv Oblast, an enemy missile attack targeted a facility where representatives of Ukraine's defense industry were present.

The council added that the exact whereabouts of the participants had not been made public and that competent authorities were investigating the circumstances of the strike.

Unusual daytime strike and wider attacks

Russian forces rarely conduct daytime ballistic missile strikes, with most attacks launched at night. The 24 July strike broke that pattern. Beyond Kyiv Oblast, Russian forces pounded other regions. In Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, two guided aerial bombs killed five people and wounded nine, according to the head of the Donetsk military administration, Vadym Filashkin; ten private houses, a factory, and the honorary consulate of Latvia were damaged. During the night of 24–25 July, drones struck Zaporizhzhia, damaging a shopping centre and causing casualties. A post office in Sumy was hit, leaving one man dead and another injured. In Poltava, a fire station and gas stations were damaged. Air raid sirens sounded three times overnight in Kyiv, and drone debris hit residential buildings in Vyshhorod district.

Reactions and calls for Patriot missiles

Zelensky reiterated that missile defense remains Ukraine's most urgent need. In a social media post, he called for faster deliveries of Patriot systems.

It is important for our partners to fully understand that our lives also depend on them. Missiles for Patriots are our number one priority.

He stressed that Russia has long abandoned any adherence to international norms and that protecting lives now hinges on partner-supplied weaponry.

Mourning and ongoing threats

On 25 July, acting governor of Kyiv Oblast Ruslan Oleynyk declared a day of mourning for the victims. The attack underscored the continued reach of Russian long-range munitions against Ukraine's defense-industrial infrastructure, even as the war's front lines shift.