Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv leave at least four dead
Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region overnight into Tuesday, killing at least four people and wounding more than a dozen. The strikes coincided with the start of the new school year.
Russia carried out what Kyiv regional military administration head Tymur Tkachenko described on Telegram as a massive missile and strike-drone attack on the capital and surrounding areas overnight into Tuesday. At least four people were killed and more than a dozen wounded.
AFP journalists in Kyiv reported hearing around a dozen loud explosions and seeing flashes in the sky shortly after the air force warned of incoming ballistic missiles. The Kyiv city military administration said three people were killed in the capital itself, with five others wounded.
In Boryspil, east of Kyiv, a strike damaged a business, killing one person and wounding another, according to Tkachenko. Eight more people were wounded when a residential building was hit.
Ukraine's air force had earlier warned that the threat of ballistic weapons and other means of attack against Kyiv and the region remained in effect, urging residents to stay in shelters. The attack came as children returned to school on Tuesday after the summer break, with regional authorities warning against holding large gatherings in high-risk areas.
Sustained pressure
Kyiv and its surrounding region have faced sustained Russian drone attacks in recent weeks, with jet-powered drones adding to the threat and triggering as many as a dozen air-raid alerts in a single day. A weekend strike on an ammunition depot in the capital's suburbs killed 38 people.
Both Russia and Ukraine have escalated long-range strikes in recent months, hitting infrastructure such as warehouses, businesses, oil and port facilities, and ships, driving up civilian casualties. Ukraine continues to face a shortage of interceptor missiles, particularly US-made Patriot systems used against ballistic threats.
