Russian missiles and drones strike Kyiv, killing at least 8 and injuring over 30
A large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight killed at least eight people and injured more than 30, setting residential buildings and a hotel ablaze and forcing residents into metro stations for shelter.
Overnight assault on Kyiv
In the early hours of Thursday, July 2, Russian forces launched a combined missile and drone barrage on the Ukrainian capital. Explosions were heard across the city for hours, and a large cloud of smoke rose over the centre after a detonation. Approximately 50 minutes after the first strike, a second explosion sent debris flying, according to AFP journalists on the ground. Residents carrying mattresses headed to metro stations to take cover.
The death toll from the Russian attack has risen to eight. Once again, the enemy deliberately targets residential areas and kills civilians.
Civilian infrastructure hit
The attack struck 28 locations across five districts, mostly residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, according to Kyiv's military administration. A hotel on Shevchenko Boulevard caught fire, and a high-rise residential building had its roof in flames. An ambulance station in the central Shevchenkivskyi district was damaged, injuring five health workers; one paramedic is in critical condition. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported people trapped in a damaged nine-storey building.
Five health professionals were injured in the Shevchenkivskyi district. One of them, a paramedic, is in critical condition.
- Zelensky warns of imminent massive attack, cuts short Dublin visit
- Russian missiles and drones strike Kyiv; multiple explosions heard
- Second explosion approximately 50 minutes after first; fires break out
- Authorities report 8 dead, over 30 injured; 28 locations hit
Zelensky returns from Ireland
President Volodymyr Zelensky had been in Dublin to mark the start of Ireland's six-month EU Council presidency. After receiving intelligence reports of an imminent large-scale Russian attack, he announced he would return to Kyiv immediately. At a press conference on Wednesday, he said Russia had been preparing the strike for some time and urged Ukrainians to redouble their efforts to protect themselves.
We know that Putin has been preparing this massive attack on Ukraine for a long time.
Wider escalation
The Kyiv assault came after a day of deadly strikes across Ukraine. On July 1, Russian attacks killed six people and wounded about 50 in Kharkiv, Odesa, and Kherson, according to local authorities. In Kharkiv, seven bombs hit three districts, killing a 15-year-old and injuring 32. In Odesa, ballistic missiles killed two and injured 15. In Kherson, drone strikes on a minibus and an administrative building killed three.
Context of intensified strikes
Russia has stepped up aerial attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks, using waves of drones and missiles to overwhelm air defences and wear down the civilian population. On June 2, a Russian assault with 656 drones and 73 missiles killed 23 people, including seven in Kyiv. Ukraine has also intensified strikes on Russian territory and occupied areas; on June 18, a Ukrainian attack hit a major oil refinery in Moscow, causing explosions and a fire that injured 17. US-mediated ceasefire negotiations remain stalled.
