At least nine people were killed after Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, overnight, according to Ukrainian officials. The bombardment triggered fires, damaged residential areas and critical infrastructure, and forced residents across several districts to seek shelter.
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Kyiv's military administration said a significant number of people were injured, including children. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian neighbourhoods.
"The enemy is once again deliberately targeting residential areas and killing civilians," he said.
Overnight bombardment kills civilians
As daylight broke on Thursday, emergency crews assessed widespread destruction. A large crater, believed to have been caused by one of the explosions, was visible alongside burned-out vehicles, damaged buildings and scattered debris.
Fires also broke out in several parts of the capital. An ambulance station was damaged, leaving at least one person critically injured, while firefighters battled a blaze that engulfed a hotel on one of Kyiv's central boulevards.
Kyiv warned of major attack
The assault came just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing a major strike. He cut short a visit to Dublin on Wednesday after receiving what he described as fresh intelligence about Moscow's plans.
"I urge our people to be especially careful, to protect themselves, their children, and, of course, their families," Zelensky said.
He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been preparing the large-scale attack for some time.
Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, said residents had spent another night sheltering from sustained aerial attacks.
She said the strikes caused fires and widespread damage to civilian infrastructure and residential buildings across several districts of Kyiv.
During the overnight assault, witnesses reported hearing repeated explosions as drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles struck the city. Air defence systems were seen firing tracer rounds into the night sky in an effort to intercept incoming weapons.
Russia cites response to Ukrainian attacks
Russia's Ministry of Defence said its forces had targeted Ukrainian energy facilities and military sites in central and eastern Ukraine. It described the operation as retaliation for recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian power stations stretching from Moscow to the Black Sea.
Those Ukrainian strikes prompted a rare acknowledgement from President Putin that Russia was experiencing fuel shortages.
The latest barrage marked Russia's first large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine in more than two weeks.
Regional tensions remain high
Neighbouring Poland activated fighter jets during the attack as a precaution to protect its airspace, stressing that the move was preventive. Polish authorities said there were no reports of Russian strikes crossing into Polish territory.
The Polish military said the measures were intended to safeguard airspace, particularly in areas close to the conflict.
On the battlefield, Russian forces have recently advanced into the city of Kostyantynivka, one of Ukraine's remaining key defensive positions in the east. Capturing the city would strengthen Moscow's push to secure the wider Donbas region.
However, Ukrainian military commanders say their forces have regained more territory than they have lost this year, while disrupting Russian supply routes linking the Russian border with occupied Crimea.
Despite those claims, the wider front line has remained largely static for months, with both sides holding entrenched positions.
Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, most of it captured during the early stages of its full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 2 July 2026