At least 21 people were killed in a Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine, with the Kyiv area suffering its deadliest reported strikes of the year, Ukrainian officials said.
Seventeen deaths were reported in Kyiv and the surrounding region after overnight attacks hit residential buildings, a railway station and warehouses. One person was killed in the city of Kyiv and at least 16 were injured, emergency services said, while 16 people died and 29 were injured elsewhere in the wider Kyiv region.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said there were concerns that people could remain trapped beneath rubble. Emergency crews were continuing to tackle fires at five sites across the Kyiv region, covering about 230,000 square metres, according to Ukraine’s emergency services.
Elsewhere, Russian shelling killed one person in the Kharkiv region and injured several others, including one person in critical condition, regional head Oleh Syniehubov said. In Donetsk, governor Vadym Filashkin reported three deaths and 27 injuries.
Call for additional air defences
President Volodymyr Zelensky said additional missile interceptors could have saved lives, arguing that delays in receiving anti-ballistic systems from Ukraine’s partners had contributed to severe casualties and destruction. He later said supplies of interceptors from allies had fallen significantly this year.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles, four anti-ship missiles and 115 drones in the overnight assault on the capital. It said air-defence systems intercepted 98 drones, but Ukraine did not report intercepting any of the missiles used in the attack.
Air force data reviewed by BBC Verify showed that Ukraine intercepted 156 of 351 Russian missiles launched between July 6 and August 5, compared with 128 of 192 missiles during the corresponding period in 2025. The interception rate fell to 44.4% from 66.7%, while the number of reported Russian missile launches rose by 83%. Drone interception rates declined more modestly, from 88.4% to 85.8%.
Russia cites military supply targets
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had targeted logistics hubs and supply centres in Kyiv and the surrounding area. It said the sites were used to store and deliver weapons and military supplies, and to produce and distribute drones.
The ministry also said it struck three cargo vessels near the Black Sea port of Odesa which it alleged were carrying weapons and military equipment. The claims could not be independently assessed from the information available.
The attacks came amid intensified Russian strikes on Kyiv in recent weeks. Ukraine has also increased attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure, including power facilities, according to the report.
Source: BBC News
