Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on his Facebook page on Sunday that he expects Russia to launch a large-scale attack on Ukraine before the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
As Zelensky predicted, Moscow launched a large-scale missile attack, resulting in at least 18 dead and 49 injured. In one district of Kyiv, a residential building partially collapsed, while in another, several multi-story buildings were damaged. According to local reports, the Russian army used ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones. Civilians sought shelter in subway stations.
The attack is causing disruptions to rail traffic in the Kyiv region, Ukrainian authorities reported.
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv wrote in a Telegram message that damage occurred in four of the Ukrainian capital’s districts and the number of casualties is not final. A day of mourning has been declared in Kyiv for Tuesday in memory of the victims.
Following the Russian attack, the defense ministry in Moscow also issued a statement, saying that Russia destroyed 519 Ukrainian drones over 20 regions and the annexed Crimea by Monday morning. They reported that two important Russian oil export terminals on the Baltic Sea were also targeted.
They also wrote that the city of Sevastopol in Crimea was temporarily left without power due to a Ukrainian drone attack, while the Russian-appointed Crimean leader said a woman died in Kerch due to a drone strike.
In his weekend message, the Ukrainian president requested additional air defense equipment from Ukraine’s partners, saying that “every delay in the delivery of missiles for our air defense and Patriot systems costs lives and encourages Russia to continue the war.”
People examine burnt cars parked outside a residential building damaged following a Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, on July 3, 2026.
