On the night of July 2, 2026, Russia launched a large attack on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. For 11 hours, people in Kyiv went to shelters. Russia used almost 500 drones and about 74 missiles. This attack was one of the worst since the war started in February 2022. Emergency teams searched about 30 places for people who might be trapped.
The attack caused many deaths and injuries. Reports said between 21 and 30 people died, and 80 to 100 people were hurt. The destruction happened in all parts of the city. About 20 buildings were damaged. In one neighborhood, a nine-story apartment building fell down. In another area, 64 homes were destroyed. Businesses, hotels, and a research center were also hit.
Even the emergency workers were in danger. A medical station was hit directly, destroying nine vehicles and injuring six workers. Despite this, about 500 emergency workers and 100 machines worked to find survivors. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had expected a big attack. He returned to Ukraine from a trip and said the attack was meant to cause as much damage as possible.
Ukraine's air defense systems stopped many drones but had trouble with the faster missiles. About one out of every four missiles hit its target. The Russian Defense Ministry said they were targeting military sites. They said this was a response to recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian military and oil facilities. These Ukrainian attacks have caused fuel shortages in Russia. While missiles hit Kyiv, Ukraine also attacked an oil facility in Russia.
Leaders around the world condemned the attack. The head of the United Nations asked for the fighting to stop immediately. Ukraine's foreign minister called the attack terrorism and asked for real action. When asked if Ukraine would attack back, President Zelenskyy said, "Definitely."
In Kyiv, people are focused on helping each other and remembering the victims. Mayor Vitali Klitschko made July 3 a day to remember those who died. Rescue workers are still cleaning up the damage as the war continues.