Three Children Among 8 Dead in Russian Strikes on Ukraine

Ukrainian officials said eight people, including three children, died in Russian missile and drone strikes overnight across Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched more than 70 missiles and over 280 drones during the attack. He said the worst impact was near his hometown of Kryvyi Rih, where civilian homes, businesses and infrastructure were destroyed or damaged.

Kryvyi Rih Area Hit As Families Were Caught

A six-year-old girl and two boys, aged 11 and 17, were among six people killed when a Russian ballistic missile struck the village of Radushne, several kilometres from Kryvyi Rih, local defence council chief Oleksandr Vilkul said.

Vilkul said the missile hit a home occupied by a large family. Zelensky said the house had been “blown into smithereens”. He added that two private homes were completely destroyed and that another eight people were wounded.

Officials said the injured included an 84-year-old woman taken to hospital, and two children who were pulled from the rubble alive.

Zelensky said earlier that Ukraine was expecting a major Russian offensive, warning just hours before the strikes that Moscow was preparing a “massive attack”.

Kyiv And Other Regions See Fires And Injuries

In Kyiv, one person was killed and fires broke out in three non-residential buildings during the night, Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram.

Poltava’s mayor also reported a death, following an attack on a Nova Poshta postal terminal. In Lviv, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said residential buildings were damaged and that multiple people were injured, with some trapped under debris. He said residents were helping rescuers clear rubble.

Poland Says Russian Missile Hit Field After Nato Airspace Claim

In neighbouring Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a crater in a field in the east of the country was likely caused by a Russian missile, though investigations were ongoing.

Ukrainian acting foreign minister Andriy Sybiha earlier said a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile had crossed into Poland as part of Russia’s “massive strike” on Ukraine, violating Nato airspace.

Polish armed forces said they had mobilised on-duty fighter jets after detecting at least a dozen missiles travelling over western Ukraine that could threaten Polish airspace. The closest was observed about 5km from the border at 03:29, before changing direction and heading east.

Military officials later located a 10m-wide crater with debris on Polish soil in a field about 2km from the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia in Lublin province. The site was secured after police received reports of a powerful explosion.

US Talks On Patriot Licensing Amid Calls For More Air Defence

The strikes came as Zelensky met US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday and urged the United States to grant Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, which he said were crucial for the country’s defence.

Zelensky has repeatedly called for stronger air defence, writing on X on Wednesday that the protection of people’s lives depended on whether air-defence missiles are provided.

Patriot is one of the few systems able to intercept ballistic missiles, which Russia has increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities.

Russia Reports Attack On Retail Warehouse In Penza

In Russia, a regional official said an overnight attack hit the warehouse of a retailer in Penza. Regional governor Oleg Melnichenko reported that one person was injured at a Wildberries facility.

Wildberries is often compared to Amazon, and its sites have been targeted in recent Ukrainian attacks, according to public reporting.

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30 July 2026