Russian drones and missiles strike Kyiv overnight; casualties reported from 2 to 8 dead
A large-scale Russian drone and missile assault on the Ukrainian capital overnight caused multiple fires, damaged residential buildings, and killed civilians, with casualty figures varying by source between 2 and 8 dead.
Russia launched a massive overnight attack on Kyiv using waves of drones and missiles, causing multiple fires, damaging residential buildings and an ambulance station, and leaving a disputed death toll that officials placed between two and eight. The assault, which began late on July 1 and continued into the early hours of July 2, was preceded by a stark warning from President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was visiting Dublin at the time.
Prelude from Dublin
Zelensky was in Ireland to attend the opening of the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU. At a joint press conference with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, he revealed that Ukrainian intelligence had obtained “very unpleasant information” about Russian preparations for a new massive strike.
He then announced he would return to Kyiv immediately.We have very unpleasant information about Russian preparations for a new massive attack. Today I ask our people to pay special attention to protect themselves, their families and children, to make sure to use shelters and listen to air alarms.
The assault begins
Shortly after 1 a.m. local time, air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv. Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to stay in shelters.
The attack opened with two waves of Geran drones, apparently aimed at probing air defenses, before ballistic and cruise missiles were fired, according to local military administrators. Air defense units scrambled to intercept targets, and debris fell on the Desniansky and Shevchenkivsky districts. Timur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration, warned of a possible multi-phase assault.Do not leave shelters. Kyiv is under attack by ballistic missiles and drones. Explosions are heard in the city. The enemy continues to launch rockets at the capital.
Fires and structural damage
In Shevchenkivsky district, a hotel caught fire, and the roof of a high-rise residential building also burned. An ambulance station was hit, injuring five health workers, one of them a paramedic in critical condition. In another location, people were trapped in a damaged nine-story building as emergency services responded. Mykola Kalachnyk, head of the Kyiv regional military administration, said five districts across the city had been struck in total.
Disputed death toll
Casualty reports diverged. Early briefings by local authorities cited at least two dead. Hours later, Tkachenko raised the figure to eight and claimed Russia was deliberately targeting residential areas.
A significant number of wounded was also reported, but no unified count was released.At this point, the death toll from the Russian attack has risen to eight. Once again, the enemy is deliberately targeting residential areas and killing civilians.
- ANSA (Jul 2, 03:11 UTC)
- 2 people
- Adnkronos (Jul 2, 03:58 UTC)
- 8 people
Sheltering and wider air alerts
As explosions echoed, many Kyiv residents descended into metro stations, some setting up tents for what they expected would be a long night. The Ukrainian air force warned that additional drone waves were in the air, with groups also heading toward Mykolaiv, Konotop, and Kherson. The attack was not confined to Kyiv: on Wednesday, July 1, a Russian drone had struck a bus in the southern Kherson region, killing two civilians and wounding six, underscoring the breadth of ongoing strikes across the country.
