A major Russian attack kills 17 in Kyiv as Ukraine keeps striking Moscow's oil sector
✓A woman looks at an apartment building burning after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk) Danylo Antoniuk/AP hide caption
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Danylo Antoniuk/AP
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia hammered Kyiv in a major drone and missile attack overnight into Thursday morning, killing at least 17 civilians and injuring scores more in what Moscow described as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on oil facilities that have caused fuel shortages and put pressure on President Vladimir Putin.
Loud explosions shook the Ukrainian capital for hours during the night, with many people sheltering at subway stations after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other authorities issued the first warnings of an incoming attack. Emergency crews were still digging through the rubble of collapsed and charred apartment buildings in search of victims as dawn broke.
Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement that the deadly bombardment was in response to Ukraine's long-range strikes on its civilian infrastructure. Ukraine's increasingly frequent and large-scale attacks — described by Zelenskyy as a 40-day blitz — have especially targeted oil refineries, causing a fuel crisis that has frustrated Russians, more than four years after Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
The attack killed 17 people in Kyiv and injured more than 90 others, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said it was a "night of horror" in the capital.
Damage was recorded in 30 locations across the city, mainly residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. Some 20 residential buildings were damaged, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
Kyiv resident Serhii Budko said three or four ballistic missiles hit his district of the city. "We were inside the shelter and felt the shelter shaking — the ceiling and floor, everything," the 24-year-old told The Associated Press.
In Kyiv's Desnianskyi district, people were trapped inside a damaged nine-story residential building and rescuers were at the scene, Klitschko said. In the Darnytskyi district, six levels of a nine-story building collapsed.
In the Holosiivskyi district, a fire broke out on the roof of a 16-story building, according to the Emergency Service, which said it deployed nearly 500 personnel and 100 specialized vehicles.
The attack used "high-precision long-range weapons" and drones on "military industry facilities and fuel and energy complexes in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as military airfield infrastructure in four other regions of Ukraine," the Russian Defense Ministry's statement said.
It published a list of targets it said the barrage hit, mostly plants manufacturing and assembling Ukrainian drones, missiles and components.
Russia fired 74 missiles, 24 of them ballistic, and 496 drones of various types in the attack, Ukraine's air force said.
Ukraine's air defenses have improved throughout the war, especially in countering Russian drones. But ballistic missiles are harder to stop, and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly pleaded with partner countries to supply more Patriot missile systems that offer the best protection.
A woman walks past a burning apartment building after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. Danylo Antoniuk/AP hide caption
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Danylo Antoniuk/AP
Sybiha urged countries not to delay decisions on supplying air defense systems and missiles.
He rejected any Russian attempts to justify the strikes as retaliation for Ukraine's long-range attacks, saying Ukraine was exercising its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter while Russia remained the aggressor.
Sybiha said on X that the death toll may rise as rescue teams continue their work.
Ukrainian forces struck one of Russia's largest oil refineries overnight in the Nizhny Novgorod region east of Moscow, starting a fire, Ukraine's General Staff said.
Also, Ukrainian forces struck a railway bridge over the Siverskyi Donets River in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, it said. The bridge was used by Russian forces to transport personnel, weapons and military supplies, according to the General Staff.
Ukraine's recent success with drone strikes that keep Russian troops pinned down on the front line, disrupt Russian supply lines in the rear and damage oil facilities have brought a significant change in the war, Western analysts say.
"Russia's spring-summer 2026 offensive has failed to achieve operationally significant gains thus far, and Russian forces' rate of advance in June 2026 (was) a fraction of the rate of advance that Russian forces achieved in June 2025," the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said in an assessment late Wednesday.
Russia launched a major overnight attack on Kyiv using 74 missiles and 496 drones, according to Ukraine's air force. At least 17 civilians were killed and over 90 injured; damage was recorded at 30 locations, primarily residential buildings. Russia's Defense Ministry said the strike targeted military industry facilities and energy infrastructure in response to Ukraine's recent attacks on Russian oil refineries. Simultaneously, Ukrainian forces struck a major Russian oil refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region and a railway bridge in occupied Luhansk. Ukraine's Foreign Minister characterized the night as one of horror and rejected Russia's justification, citing Ukraine's right to self-defense under international law. Rescue operations continued as dawn broke. Ukrainian officials have requested additional air defense systems, particularly Patriot missiles, noting that ballistic weapons are harder to intercept than drones.
A woman looks at an apartment building burning after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk) Danylo Antoniuk/AP hide caption
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Danylo Antoniuk/AP
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia hammered Kyiv in a major drone and missile attack overnight into Thursday morning, killing at least 17 civilians and injuring scores more in what Moscow described as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on oil facilities that have caused fuel shortages and put pressure on President Vladimir Putin.
Loud explosions shook the Ukrainian capital for hours during the night, with many people sheltering at subway stations after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other authorities issued the first warnings of an incoming attack. Emergency crews were still digging through the rubble of collapsed and charred apartment buildings in search of victims as dawn broke.
Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement that the deadly bombardment was in response to Ukraine's long-range strikes on its civilian infrastructure. Ukraine's increasingly frequent and large-scale attacks — described by Zelenskyy as a 40-day blitz — have especially targeted oil refineries, causing a fuel crisis that has frustrated Russians, more than four years after Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
The attack killed 17 people in Kyiv and injured more than 90 others, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said it was a "night of horror" in the capital.
Damage was recorded in 30 locations across the city, mainly residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. Some 20 residential buildings were damaged, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
Kyiv resident Serhii Budko said three or four ballistic missiles hit his district of the city. "We were inside the shelter and felt the shelter shaking — the ceiling and floor, everything," the 24-year-old told The Associated Press.
In Kyiv's Desnianskyi district, people were trapped inside a damaged nine-story residential building and rescuers were at the scene, Klitschko said. In the Darnytskyi district, six levels of a nine-story building collapsed.
In the Holosiivskyi district, a fire broke out on the roof of a 16-story building, according to the Emergency Service, which said it deployed nearly 500 personnel and 100 specialized vehicles.
The attack used "high-precision long-range weapons" and drones on "military industry facilities and fuel and energy complexes in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as military airfield infrastructure in four other regions of Ukraine," the Russian Defense Ministry's statement said.
It published a list of targets it said the barrage hit, mostly plants manufacturing and assembling Ukrainian drones, missiles and components.
Russia fired 74 missiles, 24 of them ballistic, and 496 drones of various types in the attack, Ukraine's air force said.
Ukraine's air defenses have improved throughout the war, especially in countering Russian drones. But ballistic missiles are harder to stop, and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly pleaded with partner countries to supply more Patriot missile systems that offer the best protection.
A woman walks past a burning apartment building after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, July 2, 2026. Danylo Antoniuk/AP hide caption
toggle caption
Danylo Antoniuk/AP
Sybiha urged countries not to delay decisions on supplying air defense systems and missiles.
He rejected any Russian attempts to justify the strikes as retaliation for Ukraine's long-range attacks, saying Ukraine was exercising its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter while Russia remained the aggressor.
Sybiha said on X that the death toll may rise as rescue teams continue their work.
Ukrainian forces struck one of Russia's largest oil refineries overnight in the Nizhny Novgorod region east of Moscow, starting a fire, Ukraine's General Staff said.
Also, Ukrainian forces struck a railway bridge over the Siverskyi Donets River in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, it said. The bridge was used by Russian forces to transport personnel, weapons and military supplies, according to the General Staff.
Ukraine's recent success with drone strikes that keep Russian troops pinned down on the front line, disrupt Russian supply lines in the rear and damage oil facilities have brought a significant change in the war, Western analysts say.
"Russia's spring-summer 2026 offensive has failed to achieve operationally significant gains thus far, and Russian forces' rate of advance in June 2026 (was) a fraction of the rate of advance that Russian forces achieved in June 2025," the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said in an assessment late Wednesday.
Russia conducted a drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight, firing 74 missiles (24 ballistic) and 496 drones At least 17 civilians were killed and more than 90 injured in Kyiv Damage was recorded at 30 locations across Kyiv, including 20 residential buildings Russia stated the attack was retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on oil facilities Ukraine struck a major Russian oil refinery in Nizhny Novgorod and a railway bridge in occupied Luhansk Ukrainian officials rejected Russia's justification, asserting Ukraine's right to self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter Ballistic missiles are harder to stop than drones with current Ukrainian air defenses Ukraine's recent drone strikes represent a significant change in the war, according to Western analysts Russia's spring-summer 2026 offensive has failed to achieve operationally significant gains, with slower advance rates than June 2025
- Russia conducted a major drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight, killing at least 17 civilians and injuring over 90, with damage recorded across 30 locations
- The attack used 74 missiles (24 ballistic) and 496 drones; Russia stated it targeted military and energy infrastructure in response to Ukrainian strikes on oil facilities
- Ukraine simultaneously struck a major Russian oil refinery and a railway bridge, continuing its campaign to disrupt Russian supply lines and fuel production
- Ukrainian air defenses intercepted some weapons but ballistic missiles remain difficult to counter; officials have requested more Patriot systems from partner countries
- Western analysts note Russia's offensive momentum has slowed significantly in 2026 compared to the previous year