Russia launched its largest attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, with continuous strikes lasting over 11 hours, resulting in 27 deaths and nearly 100 injuries. Moscow claims the operation was in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks.
Foreign news agencies reported that the Russian military initiated its biggest assault on Kyiv since the war began four years ago, deploying drones and missiles throughout the night from Wednesday to Thursday, 2 Jul 2026 GMT+7, causing at least 27 fatalities.
Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, revealed that 91 people were injured, while Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that an ambulance station was among the locations struck in this attack.
Although previous attacks caused more casualties, this latest barrage lasted an unprecedented 11 hours, using the greatest amount of military equipment in Kyiv’s bombardment and causing widespread damage to various sites.
Residents in many areas of Kyiv had to evacuate urgently, as the attack occurred just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing a major strike.
Russia announced that its military targeted military facilities in response to Ukraine’s recent attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure over the past several days.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Russia will "continue to increase pressure on the government to achieve the goals we have set."
Meanwhile, Ukraine accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian areas and condemned it as grossly wrong to equate the actions of an "invader" with those of a country defending itself.
Kyiv metro officials reported that 52,500 people, including 4,500 children, took shelter in metro stations across the city overnight, marking the highest number of evacuees in several years.
The Ukrainian Red Cross disclosed that their warehouse was severely damaged during the night attack, resulting in the loss of approximately 320,000 relief items valued at over £1.3 million, which will critically impact humanitarian and emergency response operations across Ukraine.
Kyiv residents, who have lived through over four and a half years of war, observed a shift in Russia’s attack patterns over the past two months: although strikes are less frequent, each attack lasts longer and appears more intense with broader damage.
Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia fired 74 missiles and launched 496 drones throughout the night, mainly targeting the capital. While Ukraine’s air defense intercepted most weapons, 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones managed to strike 33 locations across the city.
Ukraine has concentrated its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including multiple power plants and oil refineries, spanning areas from Moscow to the Black Sea region.
These strikes led Russian President Vladimir Putin to acknowledge that his country is facing a fuel shortage.
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Source:bbc