Russia bombards Kyiv with dozens of ballistic missiles – at least one dead

Damage in the capital

Russian attacks were also reported from other Ukrainian regions. In a suburb of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, officials reported three dead and 16 injured following Russian attacks. The Ukrainian capital itself recorded one dead and 16 injured, according to official figures.

In the Kyiv region, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, a center for the storage and distribution of components for the production of long-range drones was hit, among other targets. In addition, one of the country's largest logistics centers was destroyed. A company producing protective equipment for soldiers said its production facility had been completely destroyed.

Russian forces also attacked port infrastructure in the south on the Black Sea, according to the Moscow Defense Ministry. In the Odessa area, facilities for the storage of military goods as well as fuel depots used by the armed forces were shelled.

Russian statements on targets

The Russian ministry further stated that in Kyiv a large postal logistics center used for the storage of weapons components as well as several facilities producing missile components had been targets of the strikes. These claims could not be independently verified.

In parallel, according to Zelensky, Ukraine responded with drone attacks on oil facilities in the Russian Stavropol region. In the southern Russian region, three oil depots caught fire, according to media reports. Kyiv triggered several major fires with new drone strikes on facilities of the Russian oil industry.

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia

In addition, Ukraine attacked two warehouses of an online retailer in Russia with drones. President Zelensky had confirmed on Saturday strikes on logistics centers of Russia's largest online mail-order company, Wildberries. At least eight employees of the company were killed; more than 80 other people were injured.

In the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, the international Caspian Pipeline Consortium also reported Ukrainian drone attacks. There, a terminal was shelled while oil was being loaded onto two foreign tankers – the fifth act of aggression against a civilian object, according to the consortium. Governor Vladimir Vladimirov confirmed that several fires had broken out at industrial sites in the Stavropol region and that explosive substances had detonated; there were no injuries there.

A fire on a ship sailing under the flag of the West African country Liberia was extinguished. There were no injuries; both ships remain seaworthy, it was said.

Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on X that Russia had used the largest number of ballistic missiles against Kyiv since the start of the war and spoke of brutal terror. Sybiha demanded: "Wir brauchen einen vernichtenden Druck auf Moskau, um diesem Terror ein Ende zu setzen" and lobbied EU states for the 21st sanctions package against Russia, which has been under negotiation in Brussels for weeks.

Diplomatic reactions and background

Zelensky stated on Telegram: "Der Schutz vor ballistischen Raketen ist derzeit eine ständige und oberste Priorität. Interceptor missiles are needed every day." According to his remarks, Russia had used about 1,450 drones, more than 1,640 glide bombs and 99 missiles and cruise missiles in total this week. Kyiv has recently been complaining about a shortage of guided missiles for the Patriot air defense system to counter ballistic missiles.

Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than four years. With Western aid, especially from Germany, air defense has been modernized. The report was broadcast on 19.07.2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program; sources for the article are agencies and SRF.