Russian forces struck an educational facility in Kharkiv’s Slobidskyi district with a drone on Tuesday morning, hitting the roof of the building and injuring several people, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov and emergency services.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that “Russian forces struck an educational facility in the Slobidskyi district of the city with a UAV in the morning. About 2 women were injured. As a result of the hit, the roof of the facility building was damaged, and a fire broke out over an area of 150 square meters.”
Mayor Terekhov reported 4 people injured in the attack. The prosecutor’s office released video footage capturing the moment of impact on the educational facility.
“It was a strike drone. In the video it might seem like it’s not a drone, but that’s just the angle. A UAV, if you look at it from the side, is not wide but rather flat. Plus there are collected fragments. According to preliminary data, these are parts of a ‘Geran-2’ type drone,” said Valeriia Chirina, spokesperson for the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, in comments to Ukrainska Pravda.
According to Suspilne media, the Russians struck the administrative building of the Pharmaceutical University. Vice-rector for scientific and pedagogical work Oleksandra Kukhtenko said that employees who were inside the building went down to shelter during the air raid alert, so they were not wounded.
The casualty count from a Russian airstrike on Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast has risen to 15 civilians, according to the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor’s office spokeswoman Anastasia Medvedevasaid that the injured have been diagnosed with “mine-explosive injuries, concussions, bruises and cut wounds of various parts of the body, fractures.” One person remains in moderate condition.
Russian occupation forces struck the central part of Kramatorsk late on the evening of 14 September using three high-explosive aerial bombs equipped with UMPK modules, according to the prosecutor’s office. Initial reports Monday morning indicated nine injured civilians.
The overnight assault extended beyond Kramatorsk. Russian forces attacked Zaporizhzhia district during the night of 15 September, causing fires in private houses, regional officials report. No casualties have been confirmed in Zaporizhzhia at this time.
The Zaporizhzhia strike formed part of a broader Russian offensive that began at 7:00 PM on September 14. Russian forces launched three S-300 surface-to-air missiles from Kursk and Belgorod oblasts, along with 84 strike drones including Shahed, Gerbera, and other types from six directions: Kursk, Bryansk, Orel, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, according to Ukrainian military reports. Approximately 50 of the drones were Shaheds.
Russian military leadership denies targeting civilian infrastructure during the full-scale war, despite documented strikes on hospitals, schools, kindergartens, energy facilities, and water supply systems. Ukrainian authorities and international organizations classify these attacks as war crimes committed by the Russian Federation.
Russian forces attacked Zaporizhzhia district overnight against 15 September, causing fires in private houses, according to regional officials. No casualties have been reported at this time.
The assault began around 2:28 am when explosions were heard in Zaporizhzhia city. “Preliminarily, no casualties,” Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Russian troops struck the district three times, Fedorov confirmed at 4:07 am.
The strikes damaged infrastructure across multiple communities. Power supply was cut in one of the communities, while private houses caught fire in Zaporizhzhia district proper.
Russian forces also targeted the suburbs of Zaporizhzhia, damaging a house in a garden cooperative area. The attack left no injuries or fatalities, according to the regional administration.
Separately, Russian troops conducted at least four strikes against Kushugum community. The attacks damaged roofs, walls, and shattered windows in the settlement, as shown by the regional military administration.
The Zaporizhzhia attack was part of a broader Russian offensive overnight. From 7:00 PM on 14 September, Russian forces launched three S-300 surface-to-air missiles from Kursk and Belgorod oblasts and 84 strike drones including Shahed, Gerbera, and other types from six directions: Kursk, Bryansk, Orel, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. Approximately 50 of the drones were Shaheds, according to Ukrainian military reports.
The overnight assault follows a pattern of Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure on 14 September. Russian forces struck an agricultural enterprise in Boromlyanska community of Okhtyrka district in Sumy region, injuring 12 people involved in harvest collection. The attack used two missiles and damaged approximately 30 units of agricultural equipment, according to Sumy region prosecutor’s office.
Eleven men were hospitalized from the Sumy attack, with one in serious condition, confirmed Oleh Hryhorov, oblast governor.
Russian military leadership denies targeting civilian infrastructure during the full-scale war, despite documented strikes on hospitals, schools, kindergartens, energy facilities, and water supply systems. Ukrainian authorities and international organizations classify these attacks as war crimes committed by the Russian Federation.
Ukraine’s General Staff is considering the possibility of shutting down mobile networks or significantly slowing mobile internet during air raid alerts to prevent Russian forces from using Ukrainian telecommunications infrastructure for drone navigation, according to Suspilne media.
A source in the General Staff told the outlet that while current countermeasures are sufficient to prevent Russia from exploiting Ukraine’s mobile network for unmanned aerial vehicle navigation, the situation could change in the future.
“There is sense in such measures [turning off mobile networks]. How much this is needed depends on the specific situation and conditions. Therefore, it may be appropriate in some cases to apply a reduction in mobile internet speed to limit the operation of UAVs specifically in FPV mode,” the General Staff source said, referring to first-person view drones used in kamikaze attacks.
The effectiveness of such restrictions depends on the type of drone being used by Russian forces, the source explained. Drones without cameras do not require high internet speeds to transmit data, while camera-equipped UAVs need high-speed data transmission, making mobile network limitations particularly relevant for countering them.
“There is sense in applying mobile communication restrictions” specifically against camera-equipped drones, the source added.
The consideration comes after defense committee parliamentarian Fediyenko said in July that several measures were being explored to counter Russian Shahed drone attacks. These included identifying SIM cards on drones, shutting down mobile networks or internet, calculating and blocking these SIM cards.
The potential network restrictions represent a new phase in Ukraine’s electronic warfare efforts against Russian drone attacks, which have intensified throughout the war. The measure would affect civilian communications during air raids but aims to disrupt Russian military operations that may exploit Ukrainian telecommunications infrastructure.
A Russian airstrike hit the frontline village of Yarova in Donetsk Oblast, killing at least 24 people and injuring 19 others, local officials report.
The attack struck civilians standing in line to receive pensions, with most victims reportedly of retirement age.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike, calling it “brutal” and “directly targeting ordinary people.” He urged the international community, including the United States, Europe, and G20 members, to take decisive action against Russia.
Vadym Filashkin, Head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, described the attack as “pure terrorism.” He said rescue teams, medics, police, and local authorities were working to assist the injured and assess the full damage.
The attack was carried out with a 250kg KAB-250 guided bomb, according to Alexander Zhuravlev, head of the nearby Lyman city military administration.
Ukrposhta, the Ukrainian state-run postal service, was delivering pensions by van when the strike occurred. The CEO confirmed one employee was wounded but survived thanks to rapid assistance.
Ukrposhta said it is now working with authorities to relocate pension and parcel distribution in frontline areas to safer locations to protect people from targeted Russian attacks.
“Since the beginning of the war, we have continuously adjusted our security procedures, and […] the vehicle was parked under trees to reduce the risk of being noticed. But apparently, someone gave away the coordinates,” the CEO said.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called on the world to condemn the attack, stressing that Russia deliberately targets ordinary civilians.
Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, called for international measures, including sanctions and increased support for Ukraine’s defense, to prevent further attacks.
“Russian propaganda claims to be ‘saving’ people in the Donetsk region, but in reality, it is dropping massive air bombs on people who came to receive pensions,” Sybiha said on X.
Russian forces launched drone attacks on Zaporizhzhia during the night of 9 September, resulting in a fire and one civilian casualty, according to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov.
“Russian troops carried out at least two strikes on Zaporizhzhia,” Fedorov said.
The attacks ignited a private house in the city and left a 66-year-old woman injured.
This marks the latest in a series of drone assaults on the southeastern Ukrainian city. On 4 September, Russian forces struck Zaporizhzhia with an unmanned aerial vehicle, injuring four people, reports the regional administration.
The attacks are part of an intensified drone campaign across Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on 6 September that “Russians have used more than 1,300 strike drones against Ukraine since the beginning of the month.”
The night of 6-7 September saw one of the war’s largest drone barrages, with occupying forces directing 805 drones, 13 cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at Ukrainian oblasts, according to official reports. During that attack, the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv was hit for the first time since the war began.
The repeated strikes on Zaporizhzhia demonstrate the ongoing targeting of civilian infrastructure in the region, which lies partially under Russian occupation while remaining a strategic front-line area.
On the night of 9 September, the Russian army attacked with 84 Shahed, Gerbera and other types of attack UAVs. Ukraine’s air defense shot down 60 Russian targets.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported a massive drone assault involving 91 Russian unmanned aerial vehicles during the night of 6 September, with 68 intercepted or suppressed and 18 striking their intended targets.
“We recorded hits by 18 strike UAVs at 8 locations, with debris from downed drones falling at 4 locations,” the Air Force reported.
Several Russian drones remained airborne as of the morning of 6 September.
The overnight barrage follows deadly strikes on 5 September that killed six civilians across Donetsk and Kherson oblasts, according to regional military administrations.
In Donetsk Oblast, Russian forces killed three people in Siversk and one in Bilytskoye, the Donetsk Regional Military Administration reports. One additional person was wounded in Oleksievo-Druzhkivka during the 24-hour period.
Meanwhile, Kherson Oblast saw two fatalities and two injuries from Russian aggression, including one child among the wounded, according to the Kherson Regional Military Administration.
Regional authorities report that Russian military forces targeted “critical and social infrastructure” as well as residential areas throughout settlements in the region. The attacks damaged one apartment building and eight private houses.
Russian forces launched 157 drones and 7 missiles of various types against Ukraine during the night of 5 September, according to the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. All seven missiles reached their targets.
The missile arsenal included six S-300 surface-to-air guided missiles and one X-59 guided aviation missile, the Air Forces reported. Ukrainian aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces repelled the air attack.
By 9:00 AM, Ukrainian military forces had shot down or suppressed 121 Russian Shahed-type UAVs and various decoy drones in the northern and eastern oblasts of the country. However, 7 missiles and 35 strike drones hit 10 locations. One enemy drone remained airborne at the time of the report.
The Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration reported that their region bore the brunt of the massive Russian drone attack. In Dnipro, Russian forces hit an enterprise, causing fires that emergency services have since extinguished. No casualties were reported.
“Defenders of the sky eliminated 15 of them,” the Air Defense Command said regarding the drones targeting Dnipropetrovsk Oblast overnight.
The attack pattern varied across the oblast. In Dnipro, “the aggressor hit an enterprise. Fires broke out there, and rescuers quickly began extinguishing them,” according to regional authorities. Meanwhile, “the enemy struck the Pokrovsk community in Nikopol district with an FPV drone.”
The strikes caused significant property damage beyond the targeted enterprise. Private houses near the drone impact sites in Dnipro were damaged, with windows shattered in apartment buildings. Specialists are now inspecting the homes and documenting the damage while accepting residents’ claims to calculate losses accurately.
Local charities are distributing building materials at the sites, providing OSB boards and film for residents to temporarily cover damaged roofs, doors, and windows. The state assists in rebuilding through the “eRecovery” program, with applications available through the Diia platform.
All relevant emergency services are working at the affected locations alongside local volunteers providing immediate assistance to residents.
Russian forces struck Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv Oblast during the night of 2 September, killing one person and causing significant damage to industrial facilities, according to Kyiv Regional Military Administration head Mykola Kalashnyk and Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
The attack damaged warehouses and a three-story building at an enterprise, sparking fires at the facility. A garage cooperative also caught fire during the bombardment.
“During the firefighting operation, rescuers discovered the body of a deceased man,” the State Emergency Service reported. At another location, emergency responders extinguished fires in three buildings.
Russian forces also targeted Sumy the same night. Regional military administration head Oleh Hryhorov reported that the attack caused a large-scale fire in the city.
“The Russian forces hit non-residential buildings in the Zarichny district of the city,” Hryhorov said. No casualties were reported from the Sumy attack. Authorities are still determining the full extent of the damage.
The nighttime assault was part of a broader attack involving 150 Shahed-type strike drones and various decoy drones launched against Ukraine, according to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Russian forces launched the unmanned aircraft from Kursk, Bryansk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and Cape Chauda in temporarily occupied Crimea.
Ukraine’s air defenses neutralized 120 targets during the attack. Aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems, and mobile fire groups participated in repelling the air assault.
Military officials recorded impacts from 30 strike drones at nine locations, with debris from destroyed targets falling at five additional locations across northern, southern, eastern and central regions of the country.
Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia left 25,000 electricity subscribers without power, regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov said on the morning of 30 August
The overnight Russian attack killed one woman and injured 28 people, including three children aged 9, 10, and 16 years old. According to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Fedorov, nine people sustained minor injuries, 14 received moderate injuries, and one man remains in serious condition.
Ten victims are under examination at the hospital, six people have been hospitalized, Fedorov said.
Russian forces launched a massive attack on Ukraine during the night of 30 August, using strike drones and missiles launched from air, ground, and sea platforms. Ukrainian air defense neutralized 548 out of 582 Russian aerial attack assets, though some strikes hit targets and debris caused damage.
The assault on Zaporizhzhia involved various types of weapons. Russians attacked the regional center with different types of weapons. At least 12 strikes on Zaporizhzhia were delivered by Russians during the massive attack, Fedorov said.
The attack damaged 14 apartment buildings and over 40 private homes, causing fires and power supply interruptions. Emergency services reported strikes on two five-story buildings and five private residential houses around 6:00 AM.
At 6:20 AM, Fedorov initially reported one death and six injuries, including one child. By 7:00 AM, he announced the casualty count had risen.
The damaged residential buildings have been disconnected from electricity and gas supply, according to the regional administration head. Industrial enterprise buildings also sustained damage during the attack.
Ukraine has initiated an emergency session of the UN Security Council following Russia’s massive attack on Kyiv and other cities, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha.
The meeting is scheduled for 29 August at 10:00 pm Kyiv time. Ukraine requested the session with support from its partners as a response to the wave of Russian missile and drone strikes that resulted in dozens of civilian casualties, including children.
“The meeting is a response to another massive wave of Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine. These strikes resulted in dozens of casualties among the civilian population, including children,” Sybiha said.
The Foreign Minister called on Security Council members to use the session to express support for Ukraine against Russian terror and increase pressure on the Russian aggressor.
“Only pressure, including new harsh sanctions, can force Moscow to stop imitating diplomacy and join real efforts aimed at ending the war,” according to Sybiha.
The emergency session follows a massive combined strike by Russian occupiers on the capital during the night of 28 August, which killed 23 people, including 4 children, reports the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg blasted Russia’s assault on Kyiv, as the death toll climbed to 19 in one of the war’s deadliest strikes.
“These outrageous attacks threaten the peace that President Trump seeks,” Kellogg wrote on X after Moscow unleashed nearly 600 drones and 31 missiles overnight.
Peace talks on the brink
The strike comes as diplomacy falters. Earlier this month, Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin ended without agreement, and a planned Zelenskyy–Putin meeting remains stalled. Kellogg warned that the Kremlin’s escalation proves Russia is still choosing the battlefield over the negotiating table.
A city under fire
In Darnytskyi district, a five-story apartment building was directly struck by multiple Russian missiles, collapsing from the ground floor up. At least 19 people—including four children—were killed, and fears remain that more are trapped beneath the rubble.
Russia launched a massive aerial strike on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities far from the front lines on the morning of 28 August, 2025.
At least 18 people have been killed in Kyiv, with another 38 injured as of this report.
The barrage also damaged symbols of diplomacy and industry, including the EU mission, the British Council, and the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty offices.
According to Ihor Zinkevych, a deputy of the Lviv City Council, one of Russia’s targets was a Bayraktar drone plant near Kyiv, designed to produce Turkish TB2 and Akıncı drones. Zinkevych saidtwo missiles struck the facility, causing millions of dollars in damage. Turkish media confirmed the strike, noting it was already the fourth attack on the plant in six months.
Mourning and fallout
Kyiv declared 29 August a day of mourning, lowering flags and canceling events. President Volodymyr Zelenskyydemanded tougher sanctions, saying:
“All deadlines are broken, dozens of diplomatic opportunities wasted. Russia must feel its responsibility for every strike, every day of this war.”
Western leaders echoed outrage: the UK summoned the Russian ambassador, while EU officials vowed new penalties.
Right now in Kyiv, first responders are clearing the rubble of an ordinary residential building after a Russian strike. Another massive attack against our cities and communities. Killings again. Tragically, at least 8 people have already been confirmed dead. One of them is a… pic.twitter.com/aukkujC9ji
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 28, 2025
Key takeaways
19 killed, including four children, in one of the war’s deadliest strikes.
Russian forces killed an 81-year-old woman and wounded three other civilians during morning attacks on Kherson on 27 August, according to the Kherson Regional Military Administration and Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Artillery strikes hit the Dniprovskyi district at approximately 5:00 am, the Kherson Regional Military Administration reports. “Russian military forces shelled the Dniprovskyi district of Kherson with artillery. A woman born in 1972 who was at home came under enemy fire,” authorities stated.
The woman sustained blast injuries and multiple burns across her body and was hospitalized. The prosecutor’s office later confirmed that the artillery attack killed an 81-year-old woman.
Around 6:30 am, Russian forces launched a drone attack on central Kherson, injuring a 67-year-old resident. The man suffered concussion, shrapnel wounds to his temple, blast trauma, and closed traumatic brain injury. Medical personnel transported him to hospital in moderate-to-severe condition.
A third victim, a 56-year-old man, later sought medical treatment following the drone strike in central Kherson. Doctors diagnosed him with blast trauma, concussion, and facial shrapnel wounds, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.
Sumy State University has lost a total of 60,000 books following two separate Russian strikes on its facilities, with the most recent attack on 18 August destroying 15,000 volumes in the library of the burned-down “N” building, Suspilne Sumy reported.
The latest casualties were “the newest books purchased over the last 5-6 years,” according to the director of the library in the destroyed “N” building, as quoted by the regional broadcaster.
During the night of 17-18 August, Russian forces targeted Sumy State University with missiles and drones. The strikes damaged the main building and completely burned down the newer facility.
“It (the new building or ‘N’ building) stood neglected for a long time, and seven years ago we restored the auditoriums, lecture halls and created a center for collective equipment use. Now we will have to relocate to another location. The most valuable equipment? The most expensive is a diffractometer worth five million hryvnias. All equipment here is worth about twenty million,” said first-category engineer Olena Tkachenko in comments to Suspilne.
The destroyed “N” building housed one of the university’s libraries, where 15,000 book copies were lost to fire.
This follows an earlier Russian strike on April 13 that hit Sumy’s historic center, killing 35 people. That attack damaged one of the university’s buildings and the Congress Center, where another 45,000 books were destroyed.
The combined losses from both attacks total 60,000 book volumes, according to Suspilne Sumy.
Editor's note: This is a breaking story and is being updated.
Russia launched another mass missile and drone attack overnight on July 9, targeting Ukrainian cities, including in the country's far-west regions located hundreds of kilometers from the front line.
Late spring and early summer in Ukraine have been marked by disturbingly frequent mass attacks on civilian targets, with Russia regularly terrorizing cities with ballistic and cruise missiles alongside record-breaking numbers of kamikaze drones.
Ukraine's Air Force warned late on July 8 that Russia had launched MiG-31 aircraft from the Savasleyka airfield in Nizhny Novgorod, putting the entire country under an hours-long active missile threat. Swarms of drones were also heading towards multiple cities in Ukraine, the military said.
Explosions rocked Kyiv at around midnight on July 9, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that Russian drones were attacking the city center and that air defenses were shooting down targets.
Ukraine's Air Force reported that dozens of Russian attack drones and ballistic missiles were targeting Ukraine's far-west regions, with alerts of overhead drones approaching the western cities of Lutsk, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, and Ternopil.
Explosions were heard in the city of Lutsk in western Volyn Oblast just before 4 a.m. local time, Suspilne reported, amid warning of drones and missiles overhead. The city served as one of the hardest-hit throughout the attack.
Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk said that a fire damaged an "industrial site" as well as a garage, in what he called the "most massive enemy attack" on the city since the start of full-scale war.
The Polish Air Force said it scrambled fighter amid the attack to protect Poland's airspace. The air raid alerts were lifted in western Ukraine around 6:15 a.m. local time, after nearly seven hours of warnings from the Air Force.
At least one person was injured amid the attack, with a woman sustaining a chest fracture in city of Brovary in Kyiv Oblast, the regional military administration reported.
Explosions were also reported in communities closer to the front line, including Dnipro, Sumy, as well as over Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Russian ballistics and kamikaze drones have targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with renewed ferocity, killing dozens of civilians and injuring hundreds more.
The renewed attacks on Ukraine comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to send 10 Patriot interceptors to Ukraine, amid escalating tension between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"It's a horrible thing, and I'm not happy with President Putin at all," Trump said. "I'm disappointed frankly that President Putin hasn't stopped (the attacks)," Trump said on July 8. The comments come after the Pentagon halted air defense weapon shipments to Ukraine.
At least nine civilians were killed and 81 others injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on July 8.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 54 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type attack drones, and fired four S-300/400 guided missiles.
Air defenses intercepted 34 drones, while another eight were likely used as radar-jamming decoys. Drones struck five locations across the country.
The overnight assault was repelled using aircraft, electronic warfare, mobile fire groups, and missile defense systems, the military said.
In Kharkiv Oblast, one person was killed and 40 others were injured, including three children, as the city of Kharkiv and seven other settlements came under attack, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia Oblast injured 20 people and damaged at least 64 houses and apartment buildings, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
In Donetsk Oblast, three civilians were killed — two in Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka and one in Novotroitske — and 10 more were injured, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
In Sumy Oblast, four people were killed and four more injured in Russian strikes, the local administration reported.
One person was killed and four others were injured in Kherson Oblast, where Russian forces hit residential areas and public infrastructure, damaging two apartment buildings and 17 houses, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Three people were injured in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where Russian troops attacked with first-person-view (FPV) drones, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
The wave of attacks follows Russia's ongoing refusal to accept a ceasefire and comes amid rising use of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) identified Russian Armed Forces Major Denis Sheynov as allegedly involved in the July 2024 missile strike on Kyiv's Okhmatdyt children's hospital, HUR reported on July 8.
The strike, which killed two adults and injured at least 34 people, directly hit the country's largest pediatric medical center, where 627 children were receiving treatment at the time.
According to HUR, Sheynov is the head of the special engineering service of the 121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, part of Russia's 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, tasked with executing the strike.
Sheynov, born in Saratov on Jan. 30, 1978, was reportedly responsible for the technical preparation of the X-101 air-launched cruise missiles used in the attack.
He graduated from the Saratov Higher Military Command Engineering School Missile Forces, and previously served in Syria in 2018. Sheynov has been awarded several medals by the Russian government, including for participation in the Syrian war.
Ukrainian authorities previously charged Russian Lieutenant General Sergey Kobylash in absentia for ordering the strike, which was widely condemned internationally.
Kobylash gave the order at around 9:15 a.m., while the hospital was struck at 10:45 a.m.
Editor's note: This story was updated with the latest information from the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office.
Russian drones struck Ukrainian conscription offices in the cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia early on July 7, injuring at least three people in Kharkiv, while also damaging military infrastructure, Ukraine's Ground Forces said. At least one soldier was wounded in Zaporizhzhia.
The attack comes as Russia increases its efforts to disrupt mobilization in Ukraine.
"As a result of the attack, (Russian) drones hit the building of the Kharkiv conscription office and the surrounding area, as well as near the Zaporizhzhia conscription office," the Ground Forces said.
Two other districts of Kharkiv came under attack that same day, in which one woman was killed and over 80 people, including eight children, were reported injured or suffered shock in Kharkiv, according to the local prosecutor's office.
The strikes are the latest in what Ukrainian military officials describe as a deliberate Russian campaign to target enlistment infrastructure and undermine mobilization efforts.
On July 3, a deadly Russian strike on the central city of Poltava killed two people and injured 47 others. The attack caused a fire at the city's military conscription office and heavily damaged nearby civilian buildings, including civilian houses.
Speaking on national television after the Poltava attack, Ukraine's Ground Forces spokesperson Vitalii Sarantsev said Russia was intentionally striking enlistment centers to disrupt Ukraine's ability to replenish its Armed Forces.
"We will continue to strengthen our army, train our troops, and involve more people in defense to deliver a strong response to the enemy," Sarantsev said.
At least 12 civilians were killed and 69 others injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on July 7.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 101 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type attack drones, as well as four S-300/400 guided missiles. Air defenses intercepted 75 drones, while another 17 likely served as radar-jamming decoys.
The drone and missile assault was countered using aviation, electronic warfare, mobile fire teams, and air defense systems, the military said.
The heaviest casualties occurred in Donetsk Oblast, where seven civilians were killed — four in Kostiantynivka, two in Druzhkivka, and one in Novohryhorivka — and 15 others were injured, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.
In Kharkiv Oblast, 27 people were injured, including three children, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. At least three victims remain hospitalized in moderate condition, and the number may rise.
Russian forces also attacked critical and residential infrastructure in Kherson Oblast, killing two civilians and injuring nine, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
Two more civilians were killed in Sumy Oblast in a drone strike, local authorities said. Another person was injured. In Odesa Oblast, one civilian was killed and infrastructure was damaged in an attack on the regional capital, Governor Oleh Kiper reported.
In Zaporizhzhia, at least 12 people were injured in separate attacks throughout the day, including 10 during a drone strike on the city center, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Five civilians were injured in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — two women and three men — in the latest wave of attacks, according to Governor Serhii Lysak.
The mass strikes come amid Russia's continued rejection of ceasefire proposals and its growing use of aerial assaults to pressure Ukrainian defenses.
Kyiv has repeated its urgent appeals to Western partners to ramp up deliveries of air defense systems to protect civilian areas from drone and missile attacks.
Russian attacks on two towns in Donetsk Oblast left five people dead and another injured on July 6, Governor Vadim Filashkin reported.
Russia attacked the front-line towns of Kostiantynivka and Druzhkivka.
In Kostiantynivka, Russian airstrikes and missile attacks killed four people and injured another person, Filashkin said. The heavy attacks also damaged 14 homes, four high-rise buildings, an administrative building, a car, and five power lines.
In Druzhkivka, a Russian first-person-view (FPV) drone killed one person and damaged equipement.
Filashkin warned that both Kostiantynivka and Druzhkivka are "under constant enemy fire" and urged residents to relocate.
"It is dangerous to stay here! Evacuate to safer regions of Ukraine!" Filashkin wrote on Telegram after the attack.
In late June, Filashkin reported that Kostiantynivka, in easternDonetsk Oblast, faces an imminent "humanitarian catastrophe." The town lies just 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) from several areas currently occupied by Russian forces, according to battlefield mapping siteDeepState.
Kostiantynivka has come under intensifiedattack in recent months as Moscow pushes westward beyond its gains around other nearby towns.
A woman injured in Russia’s July 3 attack on Poltava has died in the hospital, bringing the total number of fatalities to three, the local military administration reported on July 6.
"Doctors fought for her life to the last. Our sincere condolences to her family and friends!" Poltava Oblast Governor Volodymyr Kohut wrote on Telegram.
One of Russia's July 3 strikes caused a fire at the Poltava military enlistment office. A separate strike nearby set fire to a private residential property, the authorities said.
Vitalii Sarantsev, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Ground Forces, said on national television that the attack on the enlistment office in Poltava was deliberate and that such strikes are intended to disrupt mobilization in Ukraine.
This wasn't the first time Russia has been linked to such attacks. Back in February, Moscow recruited the man who carried out a deadly bombing at a military enlistment office in the city of Rivne in northwestern Ukraine.
At least four civilians were killed and 37 others injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on July 5.
Russia launched 322 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type attack drones, according to Ukraine's Air Force. Air defenses intercepted 292 drones, while another 135 dropped off radars, likely used as decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian systems.
The attack was repelled using aviation, electronic warfare, mobile fire teams, and air defense systems.
In Donetsk Oblast, Russian strikes killed two civilians and injured four more, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. In Kharkiv Oblast, one person was killed and 15 injured, including two children, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
In Kherson Oblast, 11 civilians were injured as Russian forces targeted residential areas and other civilian infrastructure, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
A 49-year-old postal worker was injured in Chernihiv Oblast by a first-person-view (FPV) drone, Governor Viacheslav Chaus said. The man sustained shrapnel wounds while delivering mail.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, four civilians, two men and two women, were injured in Russian strikes, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, an 84-year-old man was killed, and two others — a 54-year-old man and a 10-year-old boy — were injured, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
The latest strikes come as Russia continues to escalate its aerial campaign and reject calls for a ceasefire. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly urged Western partners to bolster Ukraine's air defense capabilities amid persistent drone and missile strikes.
The commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces warned on July 4 that Russian Shahed drone strikes could escalate to 1,000 per day, prompting Ukraine to consider relocating drone production.
"Under the pressure of increasing mass use by the enemy of a cheap, but everywhere accessible Shahed... There will be 1,000 units (launched) per day and more," Robert "Magyar" Brovdi said in a social media post.
Russia regularly targets Ukrainian cities with Iranian-designed Shahed drones. On the night of July 4, it launched drones and ballistic missiles at Kyiv, injuring at least 26 people and killing one. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched a record 550 drones and missiles during the seven-hour barrage.
"I am not scaring anyone," Brovdi added, saying his warning is based on intelligence analysis.
Meanwhile, Kyiv is considering relocating drone production amid the increased threat of Russian attacks. Ukraine has also sought to expand its own defense production abroad, reaching key agreements with allies in recent weeks.
On July 4, Copenhagen and Kyiv signed an agreement that allows Ukrainian defense companies to open production facilities in Denmark, Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin said.
Meanwhile, Skyeton Prevail Solutions — a joint venture between Ukrainian drone manufacturer Skyeton and U.K.-based Prevail Solutions, will manufacture and supply Raybird drones in the U.K., the two companies announced on July 2.
Zelensky and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer met in London on June 23, where the two leaders agreed to an "industrial military co-production agreement."
President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more air defence for Ukraine after a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine's capital overnight on July 4.
According to Zelensky, as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were talking on the phone on July 3, air raid sirens blared across Ukraine.
"Moreover, the first air raids in our cities and regions began yesterday almost simultaneously with the start of media discussions of President Trump's phone call with Putin," Zelensky wrote.
"This was one of the most large-scale air attacks – deliberately massive and cynical... Russia is once again demonstrating that it is not going to end the war and terror."
The overnight attack struck Kyiv and several other regions, injuring at least 23 people and setting off dozens of fires in Ukraine's capital. Russian forces launched more than 550 aerial weapons, including over 330 Iranian-type Shahed drones and multiple types of missiles, including ballistic missiles, Zelensky said.
Firefighting efforts and debris removal are still ongoing after another Russian strike. This was one of the most large-scale air attacks – deliberately massive and cynical. In total, 550 targets were launched, including at least 330 Russian-Iranian “shaheds”, along with missiles,… pic.twitter.com/vnn31oST0z
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 4, 2025
Kyiv was the main target. Ukraine's military said it shot down 270 aerial threats, while 208 additional drones were jammed by electronic warfare. Interceptor drones also downed dozens more, Zelensky said, calling their growing use a key defense priority.
Zelensky stressed the need for continued and increased military aid from allies, especially air defenses. "Patriots and their missiles are real defenders of life," Zelensky said. "It is very important to maintain the support of partners in ballistic missile defense."
Despite Russia's escalating attacks and Ukraine's desperate need for air defense munitions, the U.S. has decided to halt shipments of Patriot missiles and other promised weapons to Kyiv, claiming it needs to secure its own stockpiles.
Kyiv residents and emergency crews at the site of Russian attack on July 4, 2025. Russia targeted the capital throughout the night with drones and missiles, causing fires across the city. (Ukraine's State Emergency Service / Telegram)
Firefighters respond at an attack site in Kyiv after Russia launched a mass attack overnight on July 4, 2025. (Ukraine's State Emergency Service / Telegram)
Smoke rises over the residential district after a Russian drone and missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 4, 2025. (Yurii Stefanyak / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Beyond Kyiv, strikes also hit the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Kyiv oblasts, according to Zelensky. Fires and damage were reported in nearly every district of the capital, including residential buildings, schools, medical facilities, and railway infrastructure.
Local authorities described the night as "terroristic." Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported fires in at least five districts. Air quality in the city remained dangerously poor by morning, as noted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Meanwhile, Russian state media reported that during the Trump-Putin call, Putin reiterated his determination to continue pursuing the Kremlin's goals in Ukraine, despite mounting international calls for a ceasefire.
Zelensky called on Ukraine's allies, particularly the United States, to apply massive and immediate pressure on Russia. "We need to ensure that for every such attack on people and lives, they (Russia) feel the corresponding sanctions and other blows to their economy, their earnings, their infrastructure," he said. "Only this can bring faster change."
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Explosions rocked the city of Kyiv for more than seven hours overnight on July 4, as Russia launched a record missile and drone attack targeting the capital and other cities across Ukraine.
At least one person was killed, and 23 others injured in Kyiv. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 14 people had been hospitalized, while Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, in the afternoon confirmed a body had been found during rescue operations.
"Today’s attack was like the worst nightmare come to life," Kyiv resident Olha Vershynina told the Kyiv Independent at the site of damaged residential buildings in the capital's Solomianskyi district. "Because when the strike happened, the lights went out and glass came crashing down on my head.
"It was terrifying. Our entire building was shaking."
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched a record 550 drones and missiles during the seven-hour barrage. Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground heard multiple rounds of explosions in the city beginning around 8 p.m. local time on July 3 and continuing into the early hours of July 4
The attack damaged apartment buildings, businesses, a school, a medical facility, railway lines, and other civilian infrastructure in multiple districts. Fires blazed across the city, making the air dangerous to breathe.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, warned residents to close their windows due to dangerous levels of "combustion products" in the air.
"Russia, a terrorist country, has wreaked havoc," Tkachenko wrote on Telegram. "The Russians bring nothing but terror and murder. That is a fact."
Liliia Kuzmenko, 23-years-old and eight months pregnant, moved to Kyiv a month ago with her husband from the embattled city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast.
"The kind of explosions I heard here were unlike anything I heard in Pokrovsk. It’s just beyond words," she told the Kyiv Independent. "Fortunately, everything in our apartment is intact. But in others, the windows were blown out, and everything fell apart."
"Russia is once again demonstrating that it is not going to end the war and terror."
Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia had launched a ballistic missile towards Kyiv at around 12:30 a.m, and then additional missiles around 2:30 a.m.
"This time was truly terrifying.," Maria Maznichenko, a pensioner who lives in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district. "The explosions kept coming. Shaheds drones were flying in every minute, like a swarm of bees — one after another. It was very frightening."
Flames and smoke billow from buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 4, 2025, during mass Russian drone and missile strikes. (Oleksii Filippov/AFP via Getty Images)
As officials reported real-time updates on damage and casualties amid the ongoing assault, Kyiv Independent reporters in the city said that smoke from explosions clogged the air even in neighborhoods far from the attack sites.
The massive assault came hours after a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, during which Putin reaffirmed that "Russia will continue to pursue its goals" in Ukraine despite calls for a ceasefire from the West.
"The first air raids in our cities and regions began yesterday almost simultaneously with the start of media discussions of President Trump's phone call with Putin," Zelensky said in a post on social media on July 4.
"This was one of the most large-scale air attacks – deliberately massive and cynical... Russia is once again demonstrating that it is not going to end the war and terror."
Tkachenko reported that an earlier drone strike damaged a residential building in the city's Obolon district, causing a fire to break out on the roof.
In the Sviatoshynskyi district, drone wreckage caused fires at storage facilities and hit the courtyard of a 16-story apartment building, Klitschko said. Vehicles in the area caught fire after the attack. Another fire broke out at a business in the district due to falling drone debris.
In the Dniprovskyi district, drone debris fell near a school and several residential buildings, Tkachenko reported.
Fires also broke out in the Solomianskyi district, Klitschko said. An administrative building was in flames after the attack, as were storage facilities and a garage. Debris damaged "non-residential buildings" in the area.
A damaged civilian home burns in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 4, 2025, after being hit by a kamikaze drone during a mass drone and missile attack by Russia. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)Local residents take cover in a metro station used as a shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 4, 2025, during a mass drone and missile attack by Russia. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Klitschko reported another fire on the first floor of an 8-story residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, but said the building was not inhabited. Another fire broke out at a business in the same district.
A medical facility in the Holosiivskyi district was damaged in the attack, Klitschko said.
Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) said that the attack damaged rail infrastructure in Kyiv and cautioned residents to expect delays due to diverted routes.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that the consular section of Poland's embassy in Kyiv was damaged during Russia's attack on Kyiv. "I just spoke with Ambassador (Piotr) Lukasiewicz; everyone is safe and unharmed," Sikorski said.
He added that Ukraine urgently needs air defense systems.
Russia also targeted other regions of Ukraine with overnight attacks. Downed drones struck property and a vehicle in the city of Poltava, regional Governor Volodymyr Kohut reported. The strike injured two people.
A man looks at the wreckage of cars in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 4, 2025, after mass Russian drone and missile strikes. (Oleksii Filippov/AFP via Getty Images)A large plume of smoke covers Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 4, 2025, after a mass drone and missile attack by Russia. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities have faced intensified drone and missile strikes in recent weeks, with Russia deploying Iranian-designed Shahed drones in record numbers.
Russia on June 17 launched one of its largest attacks against Kyiv since the start of the full-scale war, killing 28 people and injuring 134 others. Less than a week later, ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones assailed the city in another mass strike.
Ukrainian officials have warned that continued attacks are aimed at wearing down air defense systems and terrorizing civilians.
Despite Russia's escalating attacks and Ukraine's desperate need for air defense munitions, the U.S. has decided to halt shipments of Patriot missiles and other promised weapons to Kyiv, claiming it needs to bolster its own stockpiles.
At least three people were killed and 34 injured across Ukraine in Russian drone and missile attacks, Ukrainian regional officials reported on July 3.
Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia used 52 drones launched from several directions, including Oryol, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. Air defenses destroyed 40 of them, including 22 shot down and 18 jammed electronically.
In Donetsk Oblast, three people were killed and at least nine injured in multiple settlements, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Damage was reported to residential buildings, cars, and utility infrastructure across Pokrovsk, Kostyantynivka, and other towns.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces shelled over 30 towns and villages, wounding nine civilians, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Strikes hit both residential neighborhoods and critical infrastructure. One person was hospitalized in Kherson city after being hit by a drone.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, seven civilians were injured, including a 17-year-old girl, as Russia used artillery and drones to strike Nikopol and Synelnykove districts, Governor Serhii Lysak said. Fires broke out in wheat fields, and residential buildings and infrastructure were damaged.
In Odesa, five people were injured, including two children aged 7 and 9, in a Russian drone strike on a residential building, Governor Oleh Kiper reported. Several apartments were destroyed or damaged.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one person was injured and nine settlements were struck over 430 times in the past 24 hours, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. The attacks included airstrikes, FPV drones, and artillery, causing damage to houses and infrastructure.
In Kharkiv Oblast, two people were injured in separate strikes, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Civilian infrastructure was damaged in multiple areas, including houses and vehicles.
Editor's note: This item has been updated to include the statement from Ground Forces spokesperson Vitalii Sarantsev.
A Russian strike on Poltava, central Ukraine, killed two people and injured 47 others on the morning of July 3, local and military officials said.
The attack, which occurred around 9 a.m. local time, sparked fires and damaged civilian infrastructure, according to Governor Volodymyr Kohut and Ukraine's Ground Forces.
The State Emergency Service reported that 84 emergency workers, including psychologists, pyrotechnicians, and medics, were deployed at the site of the attacks. Firefighters extinguished the fires, cleared the rubble, and rescued 10 people from the damaged buildings.
According to the statement of Ukraine's Ground Forces, one of the strikes caused a fire at the Poltava conscription office, a local military facility. A separate strike near the Poltava conscription office set fire to a private residential property, authorities said.
Speaking on national television, Ukraine's Ground Forces spokesperson Vitalii Sarantsev said that Russia was deliberately targeting conscription offices to disrupt Ukraine's mobilization efforts.
"We will continue to strengthen our army, train our troops, and involve more people in defense to deliver a strong response to the enemy," Sarantsev said.
This wasn't the first time Russia has been linked to such attacks. Back in February, Moscow recruited the man who carried out a deadly bombing at a military enlistment office in the city of Rivne in northwestern Ukraine.
At least two civilians were killed and 33 were injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past 24 hours, according to local governors.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 114 Shahed-type and decoy drones overnight from multiple directions, as well as four S-300 missiles. Air defenses shot down 40 drones, while 39 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces shelled a hospital in Kherson city late on July 1, injuring eight people, including patients and medical staff, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
Two other people were injured elsewhere in the region over the past day. Attacks damaged residential buildings, a farm, a business, and vehicles across more than 30 settlements.
In Kharkiv Oblast, four people were injured in attacks on Kharkiv city and six other communities, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Russian forces used guided aerial bombs, various drones, and artillery. Civilian infrastructure, including houses, a transport stop, an emergency medical facility, and businesses, was damaged or destroyed.
In Donetsk Oblast, two civilians were killed and 10 others injured by Russian attacks on July 1, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin. In the city of Sloviansk, a mail terminal operated by Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s largest postal service, was destroyed. No employees were injured, according to an official statement.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, five people were injured, four of whom were hospitalized, after a drone strike on Nikopol, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
Russian attacks damaged a private enterprise in Kryvyi Rih and a farm in the Samar district. Fires were reported in both locations. Drone and artillery strikes also hit residential and infrastructure targets in Nikopol and Pokrovske communities.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, four civilians were injured in Russian attacks on Vasylivka and Polohy districts, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported. Over the day, Russian forces launched 376 strikes across 14 settlements, using aircraft, drones, multiple rocket launchers, and artillery.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on July 1 that he had ordered a ban on the concentration of troops and equipment at training facilities to better protect against Russian missile attacks.
"My categorical order is to ensure and increase the safety of service members at training centers and training grounds," Syrskyi said on social media after listening to reports on the implementation of safety measures.
"The concentration of personnel and military equipment, as well as the placement of service members in tent camps, is prohibited!"
The command follows a string of Russian missile attacks against Ukrainian military training facilities that have resulted in a number of killed and injured service members.
Deadly strikes deep inside the Ukrainian rear have sparked a public backlash and increased scrutiny aimed at the military command.
Former Ground Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi promised to address the issue, but resigned after another attack against a shooting range in Sumy Oblast on May 20, which killed six soldiers and injured a dozen more.
Syrskyi said that new shelters and protective structures are being constructed at training facilities.
"I emphasized the mandatory compliance with shelter requirements at training centers and ranges, as well as the proper and timely notification of air raid alerts."
In a most recently reported case, a Russian missile attack killed three soldiers and injured 14 at the training ground of a Ukrainian mechanized brigade on June 22.
Russian attacks across multiple Ukrainian regions over the past 24 hours have killed at least six people and injured 26 others, according to local officials. The strikes involved drones, artillery, and guided bombs, hitting residential areas and critical infrastructure.
According to Ukraine's Air Force, Ukrainian air defense hit 74 out of 107 drones launched overnight by Russia.
In Kharkiv Oblast, two people were killed and eight injured following attacks on six settlements, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Damage was reported to houses, vehicles, and civilian infrastructure across Kharkiv, Kupiansk, and Chuhuiv districts.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces struck residential areas and civilian infrastructure in over two dozen localities, killing two people and injuring eight others, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Damage included houses, utility systems, and communications infrastructure.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one person was killed in Vasylivka district. Governor Ivan Fedorov said Russian forces launched 375 strikes on 10 settlements, damaging houses and vehicles.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, three people were injured in Kryvyi Rih following drone strikes and artillery attacks, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Fires broke out, and damage was recorded at a farm and in residential areas.
In Donetsk Oblast, at least one person was killed and four others injured, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Multiple residential buildings, a church, and a pharmacy were damaged across Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, and Bakhmut districts.
In Sumy Oblast, Russian attacks injured three civilians, regional authorities said. Nearly 80 strikes targeted 29 settlements, damaging houses, educational institutions, and public buildings.
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the start its full-scale war overnight on June 29, launching 477 drones and 60 missiles towards Ukrainian cities, Ukraine’s Air Force said.
Russian missile and drone attack terrorized Ukraine overnight as air raid alarms sounded across the country, including western regions far from the front lines.
Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force, confirmed to the Associated Press that the attack had become "the most massive airstrike" since the beginning of Russia's full-scale in February 2022.
Russia's bombardments — a fact of life after three years of full-scale war — have intensified dramatically in May and June, with mass attacks becoming more frequent and more deadly.
Ukraine's Air Force warned late in the evening on June 28 that Russia had launched three Tu-95 bombers from the Olenya military airfield in Murmansk Oblast. The Air Force also warned that multiple groups of Russian drones were heading towards various regions.
Several hours later, the Air Force reported that a Russian MiG-31K — a jet capable of carrying Kinzhal ballistic missiles — took off from Savasleyka airfield in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. The Air Force followed this up with warnings that cruise missiles were bound for several regions, including Ternopil, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts in western Ukraine.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said it scrambled fighter jets and activated ground-based air defense units in response to the Russian aerial attacks in western Ukraine.
Explosions and strikes were reported in Mykolaiv, Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy Oblast, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv as waves of attacks came throughout the night. Some regional officials shared preliminary reports of damage and casualties even as air defense continued to operate in the area.
Civilian infrastructure was damaged and at least three people were injured in attacks on Cherkasy Oblast, Governor Ihor Taburets reported.
In Kremenchuk, Poltava Oblast, an undisclosed enterprise was hit, causing a fire, according to Governor Volodymyr Kohut.
A production facility at an unnamed enterprise in Zaporizhzhia was hit during an overnight missile attack, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. No casualties were reported.
After the alarms died down, officials in Lviv Oblast said that Russia attempted to strike critical infrastructure in the region. According to Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi, these efforts were largely unsuccessful.
"Despite the complexity of this overnight combined attack, no one was injured and no civilian buildings were damaged in Lviv," he wrote on Telegram.
Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitalii Kim reported that Russia targeted the city overnight with ballistic missiles and Shahed drones, hitting an infrastructure facility. The strike caused a fire but no casualties.
The mass missile and drone attack comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that Moscow is ready to hold another round of peace talks.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations have now held two direct talks in Istanbul, but the discussions have yielded few results outside of coordinated prisoner swaps.
Moscow refuses to budge on its maximalist ambitions in Ukraine and is unwilling to enter a ceasefire unless Kyiv preemptively agrees to surrender all foreign military aid. Putin on June 20 declared that "all Ukraine is ours" in a bombastic speech at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
Russian ballistics and kamikaze drones have targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with renewed ferocity, killing dozens of civilians and injuring hundreds more. Just this week, a Russian missile struck a passenger train in Dnipro, leaving 21 dead and over 300 wounded.
Russia launched its new Grom-1 bomb missile at Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for the first time on June 28, but it was shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
The attack comes as Russian troops continue their offensive in neighboring Donetsk Oblast, pushing closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — a major industrial region in central Ukraine.
In mid-June, Ukraine's military denied reports that Russian troops had entered the region, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that Ukrainian troops had intercepted Russian reconnaissance units attempting to breach Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Explosions in Dnipro were heard around 11:30 a.m. local time, shortly after the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia had launched guided aerial bombs.
The strike was later confirmed to have been launched from the Russian-occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
"The target flew more than 100 kilometers and was shot down by air defense outside the city of Dnipro," the statement read.
Authorities are verifying the wreckage of the downed weapon.
To date, neither Russian guided aerial bombs nor the Grom-1 bomb missile had previously reached the city of Dnipro.
The Grom-1 is described to be a hybrid of a guided aerial bomb and a missile, developed from the Kh-38 missile platform, with an estimated range of up to 120 kilometers.
Russia regularly uses guided aerial bombs to attack front-line areas in Ukraine's east and south, as well as regional centers such as Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia.
As Moscow intensifies its attacks on Ukrainian cities, earlier this week on June 24, Russian forces struck civilian infrastructure and a passenger train with ballistic missiles, killing at least 21 people and injuring more than 300 others.
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed 10 people and injured at least 50 others over the past day, regional authorities said on June 28.
Ukrainian forces downed 21 out of the 23 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
One drone was intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars, according to the statement. Russia usually launches decoys alongside real drones to overwhelm Ukraine's air defense.
A Russian drone attack on the city of Odesahit a high-rise building,killing a married couple and injuring at least 14 other people, including three children,Governor Oleh Kiper said.
A Russian missile strike on the city of Samar in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast killed five people and injured at least 25 others, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
Three men aged 30, 36 and 53 were injured in a Russian attack on Chuhuiv in Kharkiv Oblast, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Russian attacks near Polohy and Vasylivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblastinjured a man and a woman, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
Russian troops injured a man by dropping an explosive device on the Bilopillia community in Sumy Oblast, local authorities reported.
Two people were killed in Kostiantynivka and Ivanopillia in Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Two others suffered injuries in the region over the past day.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces targeted 42 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. One person was killed, and three others injured, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
Russia attacked the southern city of Odesa overnight on June 28, killing two people and injuring at least 14 others, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported.
The drone attack hit a 21-story building, causing a fire on the 7th, 8th, and 9th floors that left residents trapped in their apartments. First responders rescued five people, including a small child.
Two people, a married couple, were killed in the attack, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported. Emergency workers recovered their bodies from the damaged building.
At least 14 other civilians were injured, including three children. Both are receiving treatment in medical facilities, Kiper said.
Ongoing air raid alarms throughout the night complicated rescue efforts, the State Emergency Service said.
Odesa, a port city on Ukraine's Black Sea coast with a population of around 1 million, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks since the full-scale invasion. A massive Russian drone strike on June 20 killed one civilian and injured 14 others, including three first responders.
Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities have intensified dramatically in May and June.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
A Russian missile strike on the city of Samar in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on June 27 killed five people and injured at least 25 others, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
In a statement posted to Telegram, Lysak said most of the injured were hospitalized. Four of the victims are in serious condition, while the others sustained moderate injuries. A fire broke out following the strike, and emergency services are continuing to work at the site.
"We're doing everything possible to assist those affected," Lysak said.
The attack comes just days after Russia launched one of the deadliest assaults on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. On June 24, missiles struck multiple locations in the regional capital of Dnipro and in the oblast, killing at least 21 people and injuring over 300 others.
The strike hit civilian infrastructure, a dormitory, a gymnasium, and a train traveling from Odesa to Zaporizhzhia, as well as the nearby town of Samarske. Two people were killed and 14 others wounded there. At least 100 victims of the Dnipro attack remain hospitalized, Lysak said.
At least two civilians were killed and 13 were injured in Russian drone and missile attacks across Ukraine over the past day, local officials reported on June 27.
According to Ukraine's Air Force, Ukrainian air defense intercepted 365 of 371 incoming Russian air weapons, including 363 Shahed-type drones, two Kinzhal ballistic missiles, and six Kalibr cruise missiles.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said one person was killed and four were wounded in Vovchanski Khutory and Pidlyman during a Russian attack. Infrastructure damage included houses and an agricultural facility. The region also endured heavy shelling.
In Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported one death, while three people were injured across Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, and Bakhmut districts. Damage was observed to houses, a farm, administrative buildings, gas pipelines, and vehicles.
In Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said four people were injured as Russian drones and artillery struck social and residential infrastructure. Seven apartment buildings and 25 houses were damaged, along with utilities and vehicles.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Ivan Fedorov said one person was injured when an air-dropped bomb hit a settlement in the Huliaipole district.
In Kyiv Oblast, a person was injured near Fastiv during an overnight drone and missile attack. One house was damaged each in Boryspil and Fastiv districts, while a tire repair shop and five cars were hit in Bila Tserkva. No critical infrastructure was reportedly affected, and air defense forces shot down Russian drones and missiles.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 23 people and injured more than 300 others over the past 24 hours, local officials said on June 25.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russian forces launched 71 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys from multiple directions, including Bryansk, Millerovo, Kursk, and occupied Crimea. Ukraine's air defenses destroyed 52 of them.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a ballistic missile attack killed at least 20 people, 18 in Dnipro and two in the Samarskyi district, in one of the deadliest single attacks in recent weeks, governor Serhii Lysak said.
Nearly 300 people were injured, and extensive damage was reported to high-rise buildings, houses, dormitories, cars, schools, hospitals, administrative offices, and a passenger train. Drone strikes overnight also hit Nikopol and caused a fire in Synelnykove district.
In Kharkiv Oblast, nine people were injured in strikes on Kharkiv city, Kupiansk, and surrounding villages, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. Russian forces used a mix of weaponry, including air-launched rockets, glide bombs, and various drones. Civilian infrastructure was damaged, including residential buildings, houses, and an industrial hangar.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, five peope were injured in attacks across the Zaporizhzhia, Vasylivka, and Polohy districts, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported. Russian forces conducted four missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia and eight airstrikes on several towns. Around 300 drones, and over 150 artillery strikes were recorded across 13 settlements.
In Donetsk Oblast, three civilians were killed in Pokrovsk, Zoloti Prudy, and Novoiavlenka, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. 11 more were wounded in the region over the past day.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia launched a deadly missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on June 24, striking civilian infrastructure and a passenger train, killing at least 17 people and injuring scores of others, local officials reported.
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak said the morning strike ignited a large fire and also damaged a dormitory, a gymnasium, and an administrative building in the city.
The Russian military also struck the nearby town of Samarske, Lysak said. Casualties were reported in both locations.
"Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded everywhere," he said.
An school in Dnipro that was damaged in Russia's ballistic missile attack on June 24, 2025. (Dnipro.media)
Multiple cars got damaged in Dnipro during Russia's ballistic missile attack on June 24, 2025. (Dnipro.media)
Multiple cars got damaged in Dnipro during Russia's ballistic missile attack on June 24, 2025. (Dnipro.media)
In Samarske, two people were killed, and 14 injured. Eight were hospitalized, with half of them in critical condition.
"As of now, more than 160 people are known to have been injured. Unfortunately, 11 people have died," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media, adding: "The rubble is still being cleared, so the death toll may, unfortunately, increase."
Around 8:30 p.m. local time, the death toll rose to 17, while the number of wounded increased to 279, including 27 children, Lysak reported.
Almost a hundred of the victims remain in hospital, according to Lysak.
Ukraine's national railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, said that a train traveling from Odesa to Zaporizhzhia was damaged in the attack.
"Ukrzaliznytsia is preparing a replacement train in Dnipro to evacuate passengers to Zaporizhzhia," the company said in a statement.
A damaged passenger train at a station in Dnipro Oblast, Ukraine after a Russian missile strike on June 25, 2025. (Ukrzaliznytsia / Telegram)
In an update, Ukrzaliznytsia said no passengers or railway workers were killed in the attack, though several people sustained injuries and are receiving medical care.
The attack came as NATO leaders convened for a high-level summit in The Hague. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on June 23 that Russia remains the alliance's most immediate and long-term threat.
Three people were killed and at least 12 others injured after a Russian ballistic missile strike hit the city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in Odesa Oblast on June 23, Governor Oleh Kiper reported.
The attack targeted a local educational institution, destroying the building and leaving several people, including members of the teaching staff, possibly trapped under the rubble. No children were present at the time due to summer holidays, Kiper said.
As of 4:00 p.m. local time, three of the wounded were reported in serious condition, while the others — including two teenagers — were being treated for moderate injuries. The Air Force reported tracking two high-speed ballistic targets heading toward the city shortly before the strike.
Later in the day, Kiper reported that a 60-year-old woman died of her wounds at the hospital. Eight victims remained hospitalized as of 9:00 p.m. local time, while the rest were receiving outpatient care.
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, a historic Black Sea city known for its Akkerman Fortress, lies near the mouth of the Dniester River.
Under international humanitarian law, the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure such as schools is forbidden and may constitute a war crime. Russia has repeatedly struck non-military sites throughout its full-scale invasion.
Earlier the same day, Russia launched another mass missile and drone attack on Kyiv, killing at least eight people and injuring 33 others, including four children, according to city officials.
Russian attacks have killed at least 13 civilians and injured 57 across multiple oblasts over the past day, Ukrainian officials reported on June 23.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia deployed 368 aerial weapons, including 352 attack drones, 11 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, and 5 Iskander-K cruise missiles, striking primarily Kyiv. Ukraine's air defenses destroyed 354 of them.
In Kyiv Oblast, Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said a person was killed in Bilotserkivka district, two were hospitalized, and two others received on-site medical aid. Attacks damaged houses in three districts: Boryspil, Bila Tserkva, where a medical facility in a hotel was destroyed, and Bucha, damaging several houses and vehicles.
In Kyiv city, Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Kalashnyk reported 6 killed and 25 injured, including a pregnant woman and a child rescued from a damaged 25-story building in the Shevchenkivskyi district.
In Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian drone, artillery, and air attacks hit numerous settlements, including Kherson city. Infrastructure damage included seven apartment buildings, 14 houses, a gas pipeline, a garage, and vehicles. One person was killed, and six were wounded. Early June 22, three more people were injured across the oblast.
In Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported that a Russian attack killed two residents in Siversk and Myrne, with five more wounded. The numbers exclude casualties in occupied Mariupol and Volnovakha.
In Chernihiv Oblast, Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least three people and injured 11 others, including four teenagers, Governor Viacheslav Chaus said. The attacks damaged houses, businesses, and infrastructure across multiple districts, including Chernihiv, Nizhyn, Pryluky, Korukivka, and Novhorod-Siverskyi.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated as new details emerge.
Russia launched a mass missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight on June 23, killing at least nine people and injuring 33 others, including four children, local officials reported.
Kyiv Independent journalists heard explosions and kamikaze drones flying overhead from around 1 a.m. Louder explosions from ballistic missiles were heard an hour later, with the attack lasting around 3.5 hours in total.
The heaviest damage occurred in the Shevchenkivskyi district of the city, when a five-story building partially collapsed after being hit by a ballistic missile, Ukraine's military reported. At least nine people died as a result, and more may be trapped under the rubble.
An 11-year-old girl was confirmed as the ninth victim of the strike, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said. Her mother's body was recovered earlier from the rubble.
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The scene of the damaged building in Shevchenkivskyi district (Vitalii Klitschko/Telegram)
Student Veronika Sherinova, who lives in a nearby building, said she didn't sleep all night — first because she was hiding from the attack, then because the missile strike shattered the windows in her home and neighboring apartments.
"Most of my former classmates lived in this building (that was hit), most of my friends and acquaintances, too," she told the Kyiv Independent at the site of the strike. "We got dressed right away and went over."
"When my mom and I arrived, I saw them coming out in just their underwear, covered in blood, wounded. It was impossible to look at. It was pure shock. We were all in a state of shock."
At first, she just wanted to help clear the shattered glass and debris. But after seeing the extent of the destruction, Sherinova realized that some of the people she knew might not have survived the attack.
"The strike hit exactly the floors where our friends lived," she said. "Unfortunately, they didn’t survive. My other friends did — they were on the first floor," she added, her eyes filling with tears.
"It was a miracle they came out without a single scratch. But the upper floors were just blown away, there wasn’t even a chance for anyone up there to survive."
A woman and policeman stand in front of the partially collapsed residential building after a Russian attack on June 23, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine (Ihor Kuznietsov/Novyny LIVE/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
According to Sherinova, the Russian strike killed a family living on the upper floor — a father, mother, and grandfather — but their teenage son survived.
"We suspected it right away, but we didn’t want to believe it until the very end. But then we found out that they were the first ones they carried out," she said. "The boy is in shock right now; he doesn’t realize what’s happened. He’s just not reacting at all."
She said her two other friends who lived in the building left for abroad immediately after the strike.
"They went abroad — they took a bus and left right away."
State Emergency Service spokesperson Svitlana Vodolaha told journalists at the site that when rescuers arrived, they had been told only a few people would be affected there.
"As it turned out, the information we had was not reliable — there were more people here than we had been told. At this moment, we still don’t have complete information on how many people might be trapped under the rubble," Vodolaha said.
"That’s why we’ll keep working until the very end, until we’re completely sure no one is left under the debris."
Shortly after their arrival, rescuers pulled 10 people from under the rubble, including two children and a pregnant woman, Vodolaha said.
A wounded woman with smartphone stands near the partially destroyed building on June 23, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine (Ihor Kuznietsov/Novyny LIVE/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Vodolaha did not rule out the use of cluster munitions in this attack. After arriving at the site, Kyiv Independent journalists observed holes in the building across from the one that was hit, resembling those from the previous strike on the capital on June 17.
Cluster munitions are banned under international law by more than 100 countries due to their indiscriminate nature and the long-term threat they pose to civilians, especially when unexploded submunitions remain hidden in residential areas.
"It’s possible as such incidents have happened not only during today’s attack but at other times as well," Vodolaha said.
"I think everyone has noticed how our attacks have become longer and more intense, even across the capital," she added. "That’s why this morning we were working simultaneously at 15 locations."
Fifteen-year-old Roman Turko arrived at the site in the morning after the attack with his friend. His uncle lived in the destroyed building but, luckily, wasn’t home when the strike happened.
"He’s currently serving (in the military), he’s a border guard. He was on duty, so luckily he wasn’t home," Turko told the Kyiv Independent. "His apartment doesn’t really exist anymore: The balcony is gone, the walls are gone."
"If he had been there, it probably would have been the end for him."
After surviving such a heavy attack, Sherinova is now considering leaving Kyiv, at least for a while. But she says it feels like there’s nowhere left to hide from the Russian war.
"There’s a kindergarten nearby where my mom works. It has a shelter, and that’s where we usually go when we see reports of (Russian) jets taking off or a possible strike."
"But today it happened so suddenly, we wouldn’t have had time to run anywhere. We just stepped into the hallway, crouched down, and covered our eyes and ears," she said.
"It’s hitting everywhere, strikes are happening everywhere. I still can’t believe it happened to me, to my neighborhood, where I was born and have lived my whole life."
"I just can’t believe it. I’m still in such a state of shock, looking at all of this and not believing it really happened."
In the wider Kyiv Oblast, a woman was killed and eight others injured in Bila Tserkva, the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration reported.
Casualties were also reported in other areas around the capital in Kyiv Oblast, including Bucha, a town just northwest of Kyiv.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia deployed 368 aerial weapons, including 352 attack drones, 11 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, and 5 Iskander-K cruise missiles, striking primarily Kyiv. Ukraine's air defenses destroyed 354 of them.
The residential building damaged by a Russian attack as teams continue search and rescue effort in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 23, 2025 (Danylo Antoniuk/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russian forces reportedly struck six locations directly, with debris falling in 25 sites across Kyiv and its surrounding region.
Earlier, it was reported that a high-rise apartment building was damaged as a result of the attack in the area, as well as an exit at the Sviatoshyn metro station and a nearby bus shelter.
Reports indicate that the Darnytskyi, Podilskyi, Solomianskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and Sviatoshynskyi districts had been affected by the attack.
Fires also broke out in the Podilskyi district, where debris struck a residential building and a vehicle.
A large fire was also reported at a four-story office building in the Solomianskyi district. The fire reportedly covered an area of 800 square meters, the State Emergency Service said, with firefighting efforts ongoing.
Drone strike debris also landed in an open area of a stadium in Sviatoshynskyi without causing injuries or fire.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, noting that while Moscow had previously criticized strikes on Iran's nuclear program, it remained silent following its own "cynical" bombardment of Kyiv with Shahed drones and missiles.
"Only in Kyiv, five apartment buildings were damaged. These are ordinary residential buildings," he said, adding that one person was also killed in Bila Tserkva after a Shahed drone hit a hospital.
Zelensky said the attack damaged sites in four Ukrainian regions and involved 352 drones—including 159 Shaheds—and 16 missiles, possibly including North Korean ballistic missiles.
"Every country near Russia, Iran, and North Korea should be thinking about whether they can protect life if this coalition of killers continues spreading terror," Zelensky said.
The view in Kyiv seen outside of a window as Russia launches another large-scale attack on Kyiv on June 23, 2025. At least five people have been injured in the attack, local officials reported. (Olena Zashko/The Kyiv Independent)
A fire burns in the aftermath of a Russian attack on Kyiv on June 23, 2025. (Ukraine's State Emergency Service/Telegram)
A firefighter extinguishes burning debris in the aftermath of a Russian attack on Kyiv on June 23, 2025. (Ukraine's State Emergency Service/Telegram)
The attack on the capital comes just days after Russia launched one of its largest attacks on Kyiv, killing 28 people and injuring 134 others.
Russia's latest round of large-scale attacks comes as Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi warned on June 21 that Russian forces are attempting to advance along almost the entire front in eastern Ukraine while trying to establish a buffer zone in northeastern Sumy Oblast.
Ukraine is downing approximately 82% of Russian Shahed-type drones during Russian massive aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities despite a serious shortage of surface-to-air missiles, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told journalists on June 21.
Ukraine needs to have many times more surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft missile systems to ensure reliable defense of cities and critical infrastructure facilities, Syrskyi said at a briefing attended by the Kyiv Independent.
Russian attacks against Ukraine have surged in May and June as Moscow has launched several record-breaking mass strikes against Kyiv and other cities. The latest attack on June 17, primarily targeting the capital, killed 30 people and injured over 170.
"Since we have to save anti-aircraft guided missiles, mobile fire groups are the priority for defending from the Shaheds," Syrskyi said.
Despite Russia's changing tactics of massive air attacks, mobile fire groups account for the largest share of destroyed drones. The fire groups' effectiveness is up to 40%, according to Syrskyi.
Aviation is used almost every night to repel Russian air attacks, featuring the Defense Forces' helicopter crews and fighter aircraft of the Air Force, which includes U.S.-made F-16 and French Mirage-2000 aircraft.
"One promising area in countering Shaheds is the use of light aircraft," Syrskyi said, adding that "there are new projects thanks to financial and material assistance from our foreign partners."
"We are receiving modern light aircraft, which have modern weapons and navigation, which will increase the effectiveness in countering Russian strike drones."
Syrskyi stressed that "cooperation with partners, primarily Canadian ones, enables us to obtain modern surveillance and targeting systems that enhance the combat capabilities of our helicopters."
Regular Air Force reports show that the majority of Russian drones are intercepted during overnight attacks, some by air defenses and others by electronic warfare systems. However, these reports do not always clarify how many of the intercepted drones were actual attack drones and which were only decoys launched to overwhelm air defenses.
Ukraine works to develop other means of protection against Russian air raids in the non-front-line oblasts as it scales up the use of interceptor drones.
Syrskyi said that over five types of interceptor drones have been cleared for use in the army, and new units are being formed and taught to operate them. Some of these Air Force units have already downed dozens of Russian Shaheds, according to Syrskyi.
The effective use of interceptor drones is hindered by the lack of tactical radar systems in Ukraine, such as Israel-made radars by RADA Electronic Industries and their analogues.
Syrskyi said the Ukrainian army needs hundreds of tactical radar systems instead of the few currently in service for radar reconnaissance, which is key to the use of interceptor drones.
Editor's note: The article was updated after three bodies were found in Kramatorsk following a Russian attack.
Russian strikes across Ukrainian regions killed at least seven civilians and injured at least 23 over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 22.
Russia launched two Iskander-M or North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles, an S-300 anti-aircraft missile, and 47 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones against Ukraine overnight, primarily targeting Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine's Air Force said.
Ukrainian air defenses reportedly shot down 18 drones, while 10 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare. Seven hits by Russian aerial weapons were recorded overnight in Chernihiv, Sumy, and Odesa oblasts.
In Chernihiv Oblast, a civilian was killed in a Russian drone attack against the Nizhyn district, Governor Viacheslav Chaus reported.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian drone and artillery attacks against the Nikopol district injured seven people and damaged multiple houses and civilian infrastructure, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. A 63-year-old man has been hospitalized and is in moderate condition.
Russian attacks across Donetsk Oblast killed three people and injured 13, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin and the media. This included a civilian killed and three injured in Sloviansk, and another killed and two injured in Kostiantynivka.
Later on June 22, emergency workers found four bodies of people killed when a Russian missile hit a four-story residential building in Kramatorsk. Four people were injured, and one other resident may be trapped under the rubble, the State Emergency Service said.
In Kharkiv Oblast, a Russian attack killed a 77-year-old man in the village of Staryi Saltiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast wounded three civilians, said the regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin. Five multi-story apartment buildings and 11 houses were damaged.
At least 13 civilians were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on June 21.
Russia launched 272 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, along with two ballistic missiles and six cruise missiles, Ukraine's Air Force said.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 140 drones, three Iskander-K cruise missiles, one Kinzhal air-to-air missile, and one Kalibr cruise missile. Another 112 drones reportedly dropped off radars — likely used as decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian systems.
The Air Force said the combined attack was repelled using aviation, mobile fire groups, electronic warfare units, and anti-aircraft missile systems.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian strikes on residential areas and social infrastructure injured seven civilians, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Kherson and surrounding settlements west of the Dnipro River face near-daily Russian attacks.
In Donetsk Oblast, three people were wounded in Russian strikes, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. The region remains one of the most heavily targeted areas amid ongoing Russian offensive operations.
In Poltava Oblast, one person was moderately injured after Russian attacks damaged energy infrastructure and open areas, according to local officials.
A 75-year-old woman was injured in Sumy Oblast after a drone strike, regional authorities said. A woman was also wounded in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported, without specifying the nature of the attack.
The strikes come amid Russia's ongoing refusal to accept ceasefire proposals as it intensifies coordinated aerial assaults across Ukraine.
Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions killed two civilians and injured at least 39, including minors, over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 20.
Russian forces launched 86 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses reportedly shot down 34 drones, while 36 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare.
Russia launched "massive" drone attacks against Odesa overnight, authorities reported, resulting in one civilian killed and at least 14 injured, including three emergency workers.
The attack drones struck over 10 targets, including seven residential buildings, and led to multiple large-scale fires. At the site of one of the attacks, a 23-story residential building caught fire between the 18th and 20th floors, and led to the evacuation of over 600 people.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, two men aged 39 and 64 were injured in Russian attacks, Governor Serhii Lysak said. Two industrial facilities, two schools, and four houses were damaged during strikes against the Nikopol district overnight.
In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and another injured in Kostiantynivka, while five others were injured elsewhere in the region, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
Russian attacks against Kharkiv and eight other settlements in Kharkiv Oblast injured six people, two of them minors, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Multiple residential buildings, houses, a school, warehouses, and other property were damaged.
In Kherson Oblast, 11 people were wounded in Russian strikes, said the regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin. Seventeen houses were damaged.
Fred Grandy, a 62-year-old American artist and volunteer who was killed in Russia's mass missile attack against Kyiv on June 17, appears to be the first U.S. civilian killed by a Russian strike on Ukraine, the New York Times (NYT) reported on June 19.
Russia launched a massive assault on Kyiv overnight on June 17, pounding the capital with hundreds of kamikaze drones and multiple missiles in a nine-hour attack that left 30 dead and around 172 injured.
Among the vicitms was Grandy, a U.S. citizen who arrived in Kyiv in May to volunteer to clear away rubble after Russian attacks. He had hoped to volunteer in Ukraine for five or six months, his sister told the NYT.
"He was a person who wanted to make a difference so badly," Grandy's sister Siestka Reed said. "I talked to him about five days ago, and he told me that he felt he was right where he should be."
During the attack, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a 62-year-old U.S. citizen had died near one of the attack sites, but the details of their death remained unclear. The U.S. State Department and Ukrainian authorities later confirmed that a U.S. citizien had been killed, the NYT reported.
According to Ukrainian authorities, Grandy died after sustaining shrapnel wounds.
Before arriving in Kyiv, Grandy had worked as a bartender, bouncer, and builder. He was also an artist, fashioning bird houses and planters out of reclaimed wood and flowers out metal. According to his family, his desire to volunteer in Ukraine stemmed from his dismay at U.S. Presidend Donald Trump's lack of support for Kyiv.
Grandy was upset by Trump's treatment of President Volodymyr Zelensky and withdrawal of military support, Reed told the NYT.
"He thought, you just don't let a bully do that stuff, and you don't just abandon people," Reed said.
"Then he saw how hard they fought to save their country, or are fighting still. It was just hard to understand walking away, you know? And he just believed that people need a hand up."
Russian drone and missile attacks are not new, but in May and June, mass strikes on civilian targets surged. Russia has launched a number of record-breaking attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, resulting in hundreds of casualties.
Moscow's escalating aerial assaults have even directly harmed U.S. enterprises and individuals. An office used by the U.S. aerospace and defense giant Boeing was hit in a mass strike on Kyiv launched overnight June 9-10. The Financial Times (FT) reported that Russia deliberately targeted the site.
Grandy's death marks the first time a U.S. civilian has been killed in a Russian aerial attack against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Trump's interest in securing a ceasefire in Ukraine appears to have fizzled out. He left the G7 Leaders Summit in Canada early, jettisoning a much-anticipated meeting with Zelensky, and barely responded to the mass attack on Kyiv.
Editor's note: The story was updated after one of the injured victims died in the hospital.
Russian attacks killed at least one civilian and injured at least 27 over the past 24 hours in Ukraine, regional officials reported on June 19.
According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russian forces launched 104 Shahed-type drones and decoy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight from Russian territory and occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 40 drones, while 48 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare.
In Kherson Oblast, nine people were injured amid heavy shelling and drone attacks on dozens of settlements, including Kherson city, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Russian forces struck social infrastructure facilities, three apartment buildings, and 10 houses. A gas pipeline, an ambulance base, a fire station, and several vehicles were also damaged.
In Donetsk Oblast, 13 people were wounded in Russian strikes across the region, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, five people were injured in morning attacks on the Nikopol district, including an 11-year-old child, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. One of the victims, a 59-year-old man, later died in the hospital, Lysak said.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one person was injured, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Over the past day, Russian forces carried out 410 strikes on 12 settlements in the oblast, including 10 air strikes and 264 drone attacks. Additional shelling from artillery and multiple launch rocket systems damaged at least 94 houses, vehicles, and infrastructure sites.
On June 18 at 6:00 p.m. local time, eight civilians were reported injured, including two men in Komyshany and Romashkovo, and six others in Bilozerka, Beryslav, Antonivka, and the regional capital Kherson. One more person has been injured since then.
Civilian infrastructure, including private homes and residential buildings, was also damaged in the attacks. A gas pipeline, emergency medical clinic, and fire department were also damaged, according to the latest reports.
Kherson Oblast is located in southern Ukraine, just north of Russian-occupied Crimea, and has been relentless targeted by Russian forces throughout the war.
Ukrainian forces liberated the city of Kherson, the regional capital, in November 2022.
Russian troops continue to occupy large parts of the region and regularly launch attacks on civilian areas using artillery, guided bombs, and drones.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on June 18 condemned Russia's massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv that killed at least 23 people and injured more than 130 a day earlier, saying it "runs counter" to U.S. President Donald Trump's peace efforts.
"Today, with all of Ukraine, we join a day of mourning in Kyiv for the victims of Russia's June 17 attack," the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said in a statement. "We extend deepest condolences to the victims' families. This senseless attack runs counter to President Trump's call to stop the killing and end the war."
The nine-hour overnight attack, which began late June 16, has become one of the largest aerial assaults on the Ukrainian capital since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 472 aerial weapons, including nearly 280 Shahed-type attack drones and cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukraine's air defense downed 428 targets, but several struck residential areas, including a nine-story apartment building in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district.
Among the dead was a U.S. citizen, State Department Press Secretary Tammy Bruce confirmed at a briefing on June 17.
"We are aware of last night's attack on Kyiv, which resulted in numerous casualties, including the tragic death of a U.S. citizen," Bruce said. "We condemn those strikes and extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected."
President Volodymyr Zelensky called it "one of the most horrifying attacks on Kyiv" and urged stronger international support to help Ukraine defend itself.
Despite the scale of the attack, Trump appeared to be unaware of the strike when questioned by reporters aboard Air Force One early on June 17.
"When was that? When?" Trump responded when a reporter asked for his reaction. Told that the drone and missile attack had occurred "very recently," Trump said: "Just now? You mean as I’m walking back to see you, that’s when it took place? Sounds like it. I’ll have to look at it."
As of a day later, the White House had still not issued an official response to the strike.
The June 17 attack caused extensive damage across the capital. Civilian infrastructure hit included kindergartens, a university dormitory, residential neighborhoods, and industrial sites.
Fahrenheit, a Ukrainian manufacturer of military and civilian clothing, reported that its Kyiv factory was damaged and operations were suspended. Ukrposhta, the national postal service, lost two branches. Ukrainian Railways said a grain-carrying train was struck, disrupting transit.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said unexploded cluster munitions were found in the city — a type of weapon banned by some countries due to the danger they pose to civilians. June 18 was declared a day of mourning in Kyiv.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the timing of the attack, as G7 leaders gathered in Canada, a deliberate message from the Kremlin. Moscow has escalated strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, targeting residential areas and critical infrastructure.
Ukraine has urged Western allies to respond by reinforcing air defense capabilities and tightening economic pressure on Russia.
Russian drone attacks injured at least 20 civilians in the Dniprovskyi district of Kherson on June 17, according to local authorities.
"The Russians have changed their tactics for using drones — since early morning, they have been launching massive attacks on the Dniprovskyi district of Kherson," Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram.
The attacks left several people hospitalized with blast trauma and shrapnel wounds.
A 36-year-old man sustained injuries to the head and chest. A 51-year-old woman was treated for a concussion and facial wounds. Four other victims, including two women aged 60 and 67, were hospitalized with injuries to the torso and limbs.
Among those treated on an outpatient basis was a 41-year-old man wounded in the leg and a 58-year old woman who suffered injuries to the torso. Additional outpatient cases include women aged 84, 50, and 62, and a 58-year-old man, who was also admitted for hospital care.
"We are taking all necessary measures to counter enemy drones and adapting to the enemy's new tactics. This takes time," Prokudin said, urging residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.
Kherson, located on the western bank of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, has faced relentless Russian attacks since its liberation in November 2022.
Russian forces continue to occupy the eastern bank, from which they launch attacks on civilian targets using artillery, guided bombs, and drones.
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