July 1–2, 2026 Kyiv Attack

1–2 July 2026 Kyiv Attack is a large-scale air strike conducted by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during the night of 1–2 July 2026, targeting various regions of Ukraine, primarily its capital Kyiv, using missiles and armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The primary target of the attack was Kyiv; on the same night, attacks were also carried out against the regions of Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa, Donetsk, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia. The attack has been described as the most comprehensive strike ever launched against Kyiv in terms of the number of weapons used.^【1】

As a result of the attack, numerous people were killed and hundreds injured; residential buildings, historical structures and civilian infrastructure were damaged. Following the attack, a day of mourning was declared in Kyiv for Friday 3 July. Another wave of attacks was launched during the night of 2–3 July against the regions of Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv.^【2】

^{Search and rescue operations in a residential area damaged by Russia’s attack in the Darnytskyi district of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, 2 July 2026 – (Anadolu Ajansı)}

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a joint press conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin on the day before the attack, announced based on intelligence reports that Russia was preparing for a new large-scale assault. Following this warning, Zelenskyy cut short his visit to Dublin and returned to Ukraine.^【3】

According to the Ukrainian Air Force Command, the attack began on the night of 1 July and lasted over 11 hours. It commenced with a UAV strike on Kyiv’s historic district and a fire at a hotel in the city center. At approximately 01:00 local time, a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles were launched. After a brief pause, another dozen cruise missiles were fired around 03:00, followed by waves of UAVs continuing until dawn.

According to Ukrainian Air Force reports, a total of 570 aerial attack elements — 74 missiles and 496 UAVs — were detected during the assault. The missiles used included four 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles launched from Russia’s Kursk region; 24 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles launched from Bryansk and Kursk regions; 34 Kh-101 cruise missiles launched from the Vologda region; eight Kalibr cruise missiles launched from Novorossiysk; and four Kh-59/69 guided air-to-surface missiles launched from Voronezh region.

In addition, 496 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and Banderol attack UAVs launched from Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo and Primorsko-Ahtarsk, as well as from the occupied regions of Donetsk and Hvardiyske, and Parodiya decoy UAVs were employed. Ukrainian air defense forces reportedly neutralized 524 targets, including 48 missiles and 476 UAVs. However, it was reported that 25 ballistic missiles and 12 attack UAVs struck 33 locations, and debris from downed UAVs fell on 18 locations.^【4】

Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat stated that 28 of the missiles launched toward Kyiv were ballistic missiles, noting that this number represents the highest count of ballistic missiles ever recorded in a single attack on the capital. Zelenskyy indicated that approximately 70 ballistic missiles were used in the attack and asserted that at least 140 Patriot missiles were needed to prevent such an assault, clarifying that this was not a new request but a call for the delivery of previously agreed military aid. Following the attack, Ukraine issued urgent appeals to approximately 40 allied countries for air defense systems.

^{Search and rescue operations in a residential area damaged by Russia’s attack in the Darnytskyi district of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, 2 July 2026 – (Anadolu Ajansı)}

Timur Tkachenko, Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, stated in his initial announcement on the morning of 2 July that three people had been killed and 25 injured as a result of the attack.

Later that day, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (DSNS) reported that the death toll had risen to 13, with 34 people rescued by emergency teams. Kličko confirmed in the same statement that the number of injured had reached 86. Zelenskyy, based on initial assessments, stated that 13 people had been killed and over 90 injured. In subsequent hours, Timur Tkachenko announced that the death toll had increased to 30 and the number of injured to 91.

On 3 July, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Kličko, while confirming ongoing search and rescue operations, stated that the death toll had reached 30 and the number of injured had risen to 92, including four children among the injured, with 56 people receiving hospital treatment. On the same date, the DSNS reported that three additional bodies had been found in the attack zone. Zelenskyy stated that 10 people were missing and approximately 100 had been injured.^【5】

As a result of the attack, damage was detected at more than 30 locations across all districts of Kyiv. In the southeastern Darnytskyi district, two missiles struck a residential area, causing massive destruction; one missile created a large crater beside a kindergarten, and surrounding buildings were damaged by fire. The second missile hit a section of a nine-story residential building, partially collapsing it. Rescue teams worked to reach people believed to be trapped under the rubble.

In the Shevchenkivskyi district, fires broke out in a hotel and on the roof of a seven-story residential building; the damaged hotel was identified as a historical structure dating back to the early 20th century. In the Holosiivskyi district, a 16-story residential building caught fire; in the Pecherskyi district, a fire covering an area of 200 square meters occurred in a nine-story building. In the Desnianskyi district, a nine-story building sustained damage, prompting rescue operations after partial collapse. In the Obolonskyi district, a warehouse was damaged; in the Sviatoshynskyi district, two homes were damaged; and in the Solomianskyi district, fires were reported near residential and administrative buildings. Six emergency responders were injured after an ambulance station was damaged.

Zelenskyy stated that homes were primarily targeted in the attack, adding that “An emergency services center, a scientific institute, a hotel and several businesses were also destroyed.”

^{Search and rescue operations in a residential area damaged by Russia’s attack in the Darnytskyi district of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, 2 July 2026 – (Anadolu Ajansı)}

The Ukrainian Red Cross Society reported that its main warehouse in Kyiv was destroyed in the attack, with approximately 320,000 humanitarian aid items lost, and the damage valued at 79 million Ukrainian hryvnias, equivalent to approximately 1.3 million pounds sterling, 2 million US dollars or 1.7 million euros. The Ukrainian publishing house BookChef reported that its main warehouse in the Kyiv region was damaged, with approximately 800,000 books destroyed by fire.

Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, reported that the attack damaged Kyiv’s energy infrastructure, causing power outages in some areas. The internet service provider Utels reported that damage to its equipment disrupted internet services for approximately 500,000 households and businesses in Kyiv and the surrounding region, with partial service restored by afternoon in the city center.

Kyiv Metro authorities reported that during the attack night, 52,500 people sought shelter in underground stations, including 4,500 children, the highest number recorded in recent years. All 46 underground stations in the city were used as shelters, and many people also took refuge in underground parking lots. ^【6】

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Kličko described the attack as the “most intense” ever launched against the capital since the start of the war. Kličko said, “It was a terrifying night for Kyiv,” and confirmed damage across all districts of the city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the attack exposed Ukraine’s deficiencies in air defense systems, saying, “If our partners had delivered what they promised in time, we could have saved more homes and more lives.” Zelenskyy further remarked, “Putin is losing this war. The only thing he understands is instilling fear and killing civilians with missile strikes.”^【7】

Tkachenko said, “The enemy is once again targeting populated areas and killing civilians. We have many victims, including children, and serious destruction.” In response to journalists’ question on whether Ukraine would retaliate, Zelenskyy replied, “Definitely.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the attack targeted military objectives in Kyiv, the Kyiv region, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions, using long-range precision weapons launched from air, land and sea, along with attack UAVs. The ministry claimed the strike was a “response” to Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the alleged targets included facilities involved in the production of the “Flamingo” ground-launched long-range cruise missiles, “Fire Point-7” and “Fire Point-9” operational-tactical missiles, “Neptun-MD” guided missiles, and control systems for air defense missiles produced by the Radioniks company.

The ministry also claimed that the attack successfully targeted Atlon Avia and Antonov facilities, an industrial plant producing electronic warfare systems, a logistics center, a fuel depot, and a natural gas distribution station.

^{Search and rescue operations in a residential area damaged by Russia’s attack in the Darnytskyi district of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, 2 July 2026 – (Anadolu Ajansı)}

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitriy Peskov asserted that despite the widespread destruction and civilian casualties, Russian forces had struck only “military or quasi-military targets,” and confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the attack. Peskov evaluated the European Union’s calls for new sanctions against Russia, arguing that Russia would continue to increase pressure on the Kyiv administration and accusing Europe of entering a path of “militarization” and confrontation with Russia.^【8】

Attacks by the Russian military on regions outside Kyiv on 1–2 July were also reported. In the city of Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that a glide bomb attack on 1 July killed a 15-year-old child and injured 32 civilians, with seven glide bombs launched against the city. Governor Oleh Sinyehubov stated that across the Kharkiv region, two people were killed and 48 injured.

In the Kherson region, three people were killed and 45 injured, including three children, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. In the Odesa region, a ballistic missile strike killed two people and injured 13, and two warehouses were destroyed, according to the DSNS. In the Donetsk region, one person was killed and 10 injured, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin. In the Sumy region, seven people were injured; in the Dnipropetrovsk region, four were injured; and in the Zaporizhzhia region, three were injured, according to regional authorities.

Following the 1–2 July attack, it was reported that Russia launched new attacks against various regions of Ukraine during the night of 2–3 July. According to the DSNS, Russian air strikes on the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions resulted in five deaths, including one child, and 19 injuries. The Ukrainian Air Force Command stated that Russia launched two missiles and 105 UAVs in this attack, and that Ukrainian air defenses neutralized one missile and 82 UAVs.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces also reported on the same night that Russia launched 105 UAVs and two guided missiles, of which 82 UAVs and one missile were intercepted. In a UAV strike on an apartment building in the Sumy region, four people were killed and three injured, according to Governor Oleh Grigorov. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, 10 people were injured and civilian infrastructure and vehicles were damaged, according to Governor Oleksandr Hanja. In the Kharkiv region, six people were injured, including three children, according to the DSNS.

According to reports on 2 July, Ukraine also conducted UAV strikes against Russian territory. The Belgorod Emergency Ministry reported that two people were killed and nine injured in Ukrainian UAV attacks, with 64 settlements across 16 districts hit by UAV and missile strikes, and 233 UAV attacks launched in a single day, of which 172 were shot down. Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor Gleb Nikitin stated that regional air defenses destroyed 30 Ukrainian UAVs, with debris from downed UAVs causing damage to an industrial facility and several homes, killing one civilian and injuring four. Yevgeny Balitsky, Russia’s appointed so-called governor of the annexed Zaporizhzhia region, claimed that two workers were killed during repair work on the power grid by a UAV strike.

Within the context of reciprocal attacks on the night of 2–3 July, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that a total of 179 UAVs were shot down across the country, including over the annexed Crimea and the Azov and Black Seas. In a “suicide UAV” attack in the Bryansk region, one person was killed and two injured, according to Governor Yegor Kovalchuk. In the Belgorod region, a missile strike killed one person and injured another, and power and water outages occurred in some settlements due to damage to energy infrastructure, according to Governor Aleksandr Shuvayev.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Kličko announced that 3 July, Friday, would be observed as a day of mourning in Kyiv in memory of the victims. In his statement, Kličko said, “Tomorrow, 3 July, will be a day of mourning in Kyiv in memory of the victims of the most intense enemy attack on the capital.”

Following the attack, officials from various countries and institutions issued statements. Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius criticized Russia. The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas announced that the EU would propose additional sanctions against those supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex. Moldovan President Maia Sandu called for increased pressure on Russia. The European Union Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, assessed the attack on her social media account.