At least nine killed in overnight Russian missile-and-drone attack on Kyiv

At least nine people were killed and 22 injured in Kyiv after a major Russian missile-and-drone attack overnight into Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, with rescue and firefighting operations still underway in the Ukrainian capital Saturday morning.

The strikes caused damage and fires in multiple districts of Kyiv, including Solomianskyi and Darnytskyi, according to Ukrainian emergency services. A five-story residential building was damaged in Solomianskyi district, and rescue workers evacuated 35 people from the upper floors, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. The casualties and damage independently confirmed in Kyiv underscored the scale of the overnight assault.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Telegram post that Kyiv was the main target of the attack. He said Russia launched 35 missiles overnight, including 27 ballistic missiles, as well as 185 strike drones of various types. Zelensky also said strikes hit the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv and Poltava regions.

Zelensky said Ukraine intercepted only one ballistic missile and argued that the result reflected a shortage of missiles for Patriot air defense systems, the U.S.-made systems Kyiv has repeatedly sought from allies to counter ballistic threats.

“The Russian air strikes on our country continue and air defense, specifically interceptors for Patriot systems against ballistic missiles, remains a top priority,” Zelensky said, according to the Associated Press.

Russia’s Defense Ministry described the operation as a “massive strike” on Kyiv’s military-industrial and logistics targets, according to AP reporting.

The attack fits a pattern seen repeatedly in 2026, with Russia using combined ballistic missile and drone barrages against Ukrainian cities. It also comes as Ukraine has intensified public appeals to allies for more Patriot interceptors, saying the systems are critical for defending cities against ballistic missile attacks.