Nightly Russian drone attacks again battered Ukraine as missiles and Shaheds rained down on several cities, causing injuries and damage. Local authorities said explosions and fires struck homes and infrastructure across the country as power outages and destruction mounted.

Nightly Russian drone attacks cause destruction across Ukraine

In the late evening of 2 August, Russian forces launched missiles on Mykolaiv and Kherson. The State Emergency Service reported that in Mykolaiv explosions destroyed single-family homes and damaged apartments, igniting fires in a residential district.

The head of Mykolaiv Oblast, Vitalii Kim, said seven people were injured, with four treated on site and three hospitalized. A 57‑year‑old man and a 74‑year‑old man were hospitalized in moderate condition, and a 32‑year‑old man received outpatient care. Kim confirmed that three houses were destroyed, 23 more were damaged, and 12 apartment buildings, six vehicles, a postal branch and a building materials store were also hit. After the attack, parts of Mykolaiv Oblast lost electricity. The head of Kherson Oblast, Oleksandr Prokudin, also reported power outages after evening missile explosions.

Russian forces struck Kharkiv in the night with two Shahed drones. Oleg Synehubov, the head of Kharkiv Oblast, reported that a central district of the city was hit. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said one explosion damaged warehouse buildings near residential areas, with no injuries there. Another drone fell in a forest without detonating.

Synehubov said that explosions in Chuhuiv and Balakliia caused fires in detached homes. In Chuhuiv, Mayor Halyna Minaieva said three women suffered acute stress reactions, and houses had windows and roofs damaged. In Balakliia, city military administrator Vitalii Karabanov said more than ten drones struck one street, setting over ten homes on fire. He confirmed at least one injured person. Casualty numbers there are still being clarified.

In Kyiv, city military administration chief Tymur Tkachenko confirmed a missile strike during the night, with details still unknown.

Lithuanian volunteer organization Blue/Yellow says that Russia’s previous attack on 31 July destroyed its Kyiv warehouse. Lithuanian broadcaster LRT reported that a Shahed drone completely demolished the building used for storing humanitarian aid before shipment to the front. The organization said the warehouse contained mainly helmets and protective vests and that surrounding buildings were also damaged.

Heavy Ukrainian air defense effort

The Air Force of Ukraine reported that between 19:00 on 2 August and early 3 August, Russia attacked with 76 Shahed and decoy drones, and seven missiles, including an Iskander‑M ballistic missile, five S‑300/S‑400 surface‑to‑air missiles used for ground attacks, and one Kh‑22 cruise missile.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 61 air targets: 60 drones and one ballistic missile. Despite this, six missiles and 16 drones struck eight locations, with debris falling in two more places. Air defense units, aviation, radio‑electronic warfare systems and mobile fire teams all took part in repelling the assault.

Casualties from artillery in Kostiantynivka

On the morning of 3 August, Russian forces used artillery against Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast. City military administrator Serhii Horbunov reported that shells hit residential areas, killing one person. He said that Russian troops struck civilian infrastructure and confirmed that the attack resulted in at least one death.

While Ukraine proposes peace, Russians again terrorize cities with missiles and drones. After talks in Istanbul where Ukraine offered a complete ceasefire, occupying Russian forces immediately struck Ukrainian cities, says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Yesterday at the meeting in Istanbul, the Russian side was again offered the proposal to immediately and fully cease fire. In response, Russian drones struck residential buildings and the ‘Pryvoz’ market in Oblast, apartment buildings in Cherkasy, energy infrastructure in Kharkiv region, a university gym in Zaporizhzhia, and targets in Donetsk, Sumy, and Mykolaiv regions,” Zelenskyy claims.

Pryvoz is one of the oldest and most famous markets in Odesa, a living iconic part of the city’s culture and history. Founded in 1827, it was the economic heart of the city, supplying food to Odesa and the region.

It became not only the main shopping place for locals but also a hub of Odesa’s humor. There, sellers and customers joke during bargaining, shout sayings, and win over buyers. It is believed that the unique Odesa dialect, the city’s distinctive linguistic culture, began forming there.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes that Russia not only continues its terror but also blocks diplomatic efforts, thus deserving harsh sanctions and strikes on its logistics, military bases, and production facilities.

“We will do everything to make diplomacy work. But it is Russia that must stop this war it started,” the Ukrainian president stresses. 

Earlier, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Kyiv forces would receive secret weapons to “influence” Russia’s territory. He did not mention specific names or dates for the deliveries.

As Putin vows summer escalation, Berlin says Kyiv will soon gain secret tools to “affect Russian territory”

Wadephul added that European partners worked intensively on delivering weapons to Ukraine. The issue is not about finances but about the defense industry’s production capacity.

Russia’s weaker but destructive drone attack injured at least 27 civilians overnight as strikes hit Odesa, Kharkiv, Chuhuiv, and other cities overnight and in the morning of 11 July, local authorities reported. A separate Russian artillery attack on a medical facility injured at least three more people in Kherson Oblast.

Drones launched from three directions

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 79 drones, including Shahed explosive one-way attack drones and decoys, from Kursk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk.

Air defenses reportedly shot down 44 drones, and 16 more were suppressed by electronic warfare and disappeared from radars. Nineteen reached their targets across at least eight locations. Debris also fell in three other areas, the report says.

Kharkiv: maternity ward and residential areas hit

In Kharkiv, three explosions occurred around 05:25. According to the Emergency Service, at least 11 people were injured. A dental clinic was hit, and 17 buildings were damaged, with around 200 windows shattered.

One Russian drone strike hit a maternity hospital, forcing staff to evacuate seven patients, three children, and 13 personnel. Medical director Oleksandr Kondratskyi told Suspilne everyone inside experienced severe stress. The blast shattered windows and doors, dislodged ceiling lights, and damaged medical equipment. Staff canceled a scheduled operation due to the destruction.

Chuhuiv: hospital, homes, and factory struck

In Chuhuiv, Kharkiv Oblast, explosions shook the city around 01:20. The blasts injured four people, including a 65-year-old woman. Drones destroyed two detached houses, damaged several others nearby, and heavily damaged the city hospital.

Mayor Halyna Minayeva confirmed further drone impacts on private households in another district. Six drones also struck an industrial site, causing a fire, according to Oblast head Oleh Syniehubov.

Odesa: injured civilians and dead horse after drone hits stable

In Odesa, authorities issued an air alert at 09:19. Five explosions rocked the city as drones struck residential buildings, administrative facilities, and a stable. Local officials reported that 11 civilians were injured.

A drone strike on the stable killed a mare named Kameliia and wounded another horse. At the time of the attack, five horses and four ponies were inside the building.

Sumy: woman wounded, land contaminated

Russian drones struck Sumy early in the morning, the regional authorities reported. One drone injured a 62-year-old woman while she stood in her yard; medics are currently treating her. The blasts damaged non-residential buildings on the outskirts of the city. Environmental officials reported that debris from the attack contaminated 1,190 square meters of land.

Kherson Oblast: artillery hits medical site

In Bilozerka, Russian artillery struck a medical facility, wounding three people: a 40-year-old male patient with leg injuries, a nurse born in 1978 with wounds to her legs, head, and arms, and a driver born in 1976 with hand injuries. All are receiving medical care.

Mykolaiv: explosions and fire, no casualties

Explosions were heard in Mykolaiv after 01:30 during an air raid alert. Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych and regional head Vitalii Kim confirmed multiple blasts and a fire on the city’s outskirts. No injuries were reported.