Russia massively strikes Kyiv overnight: Consequences revealed
Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine rescuers (Getty Images)
Russian overnight ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv have led to an increase in the number of casualties. Damage and fires are also being reported in various districts of Kyiv, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko.
Russians began striking Kyiv at 3:39 a.m. Kyiv time. The attack came as a surprise, as neither the Kyiv City Military Administration nor the Ukrainian Air Force nor monitoring channels had issued any warnings. The air raid siren in the capital sounded only after three explosions, several minutes later.
The alert itself lasted nearly an hour and a half. It was known that six people in Kyiv were injured as a result of the Russian attack. Three of them were taken to hospitals by medical personnel, while the others received on-site medical care.
The following damage and fires have been reported in various districts of Kyiv:
- In the Sviatoshynskyi district, a non-residential building was reportedly hit
- In the Darnytskyi district, a transformer substation is on fire
- In the Solomianskyi district, a fire has broken out in a three-story office building
- In the Dniprovskyi district, smoke is reported in a non-residential area.
All emergency services are responding to the sites of the strikes.
At 6:19 a.m., Mayor Klitschko reported that the number of casualties in Kyiv had risen to eight. Among the victims is an 11-year-old boy.
Four of the victims are being treated at city hospitals. The others received medical assistance on the scene.
As of 07:29 a.m., according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, 10 people were injured as a result of the Russian attack on Kyiv, including one child. Strikes and fires have been reported in the Solomyanskyi, Darnytskyi, and Dniprovskyi districts of the city.
Rescue workers and all relevant services are on the scene. Information is being verified.
Context of Russia's attacks on Kyiv
Russian forces have recently significantly intensified their ballistic and cruise missile strikes on Kyiv. This is due to a shortage of missiles for air defense systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, as President Zelenskyy has stated. Due to the shortage of ammunition, the Patriot systems had to be switched from automatic to manual mode.
Because of the lack of rounds for the Patriot during the attack on July 8, Ukrainian air defense was unable to destroy a single ballistic missile. However, there are almost no such problems with shooting down cruise missiles—they are intercepted in 90% of cases.
But there is good news as well. President Trump announced that the US would allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot systems. He said that while this was technologically challenging, Ukraine would be able to handle it.
In addition, Canada has provided Ukraine with a large air defense package. Additional defense equipment is expected to arrive in the near future.
