Russia Launches Massive Missile and Drone Strikes on Kyiv

The Federal Government of Russia launched a massive aerial campaign against Ukraine between July 1 and July 2, 2026, culminating in the most significant attack on Kyiv since the 2022 invasion. On July 1, Russian forces struck Odesa, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy, killing several civilians, including a 15-year-old boy in Kharkiv and a child in Kherson. In Odesa, a ballistic missile hit a commercial enterprise, killing two people.

Overnight on July 2, Russia escalated the assault on Kyiv using 570 weapons, including 74 missiles and 496 drones. The 11-hour barrage hit 30 locations, causing a nine-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district to partially collapse and igniting a fire at the Kyiv City Center Residenz Hotel. While the Ukrainian Air Force intercepted 524 targets, the strikes killed at least 18 people and injured over 80 others. Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared July 3 a day of mourning, prohibiting entertainment events and ordering flags to be flown at half-mast.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who cut short a visit to Dublin, Ireland, to return home ahead of the strikes, urged allies for more air defense systems and a U.S. license to produce Patriot missiles. Meanwhile, Ukraine conducted a retaliatory drone strike on the Dubna Satellite Communications Centre in Moscow, which the Kremlin reported killed a six-month-old baby. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia would continue to increase pressure on the Kyiv regime to achieve its objectives.