Russia Pounds Kyiv Again With Ballistic Missiles Days After Deadly Attack

Jul 06, 2026 10:20 Updated Jul 06, 2026 10:28

5 min read

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Authors

Illia Kabachynskyi

Feature Writer

During the night of July 6, Kyiv came under another massive attack—just five days after the previous strike, in which Russia launched nearly 600 aerial weapons. The latest assault was also a combined attack, involving dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, hypersonic Zircon missiles, and Shahed drones, including jet-powered variants. In total, Russia launched 419 aerial weapons:

• 351 drones, of which 326 were intercepted or electronically suppressed.

• 68 missiles of various types, of which 37 were intercepted.

As in previous attacks, Ukraine successfully intercepted a large share of the drones and nearly all of the cruise missiles, including all six Kalibr cruise missiles and 31 of the 33 Kh-101 cruise missiles. Ballistic missiles proved far more difficult to counter. Russia launched six 3M22 Zircon anti-ship missiles and 23 Iskander ballistic missiles. None of them was intercepted, according to preliminary information from Ukraine’s Air Force.

Russian forces targeted the Ukrainian capital throughout the night. The sound of incoming missiles and Ukraine’s air defense systems echoed across the city from midnight until dawn. One of the greatest dangers during such attacks is the possibility of a double tap—a follow-up strike targeting locations that have already been hit. Russia uses this tactic to maximize casualties, including among emergency responders.

Russian ballistic missiles tear through Kyiv neighborhoods

There was little time to seek shelter. When the UNITED24 Media team arrived at one of the strike sites, where a ballistic missile had destroyed four floors of an apartment building and dozens of homes, rescue crews were already working at full capacity, clearing the rubble. The devastation was so severe that uprooted trees and overturned vehicles blocked access to the area, forcing responders to literally cut a path through fallen trunks before heavy equipment could reach the building.

Throughout the rescue operation, missiles and drones continued flying overhead for several more hours.

In one district, several ballistic missiles struck within the same residential block—something that is virtually unheard of in densely populated neighborhoods. This time, the Russian military hit multiple residential buildings within a very small area. 

One building was almost completely destroyed, while around a dozen surrounding apartment blocks sustained damage. A kindergarten was heavily damaged, a garage complex burned to the ground, and a sports training area was completely wiped out.

The force of the explosions flipped some vehicles upside down, while dozens more were damaged or burned out. The missile craters were so large that the surrounding area was buried under displaced earth. It felt as though the Kremlin intended to erase the entire residential neighborhood from the map. Although some apartment buildings remain standing, dozens of families will have nowhere to spend the night. Windows have been blown out, and apartments have been ripped apart by shrapnel.

Russian missile strikes routinely destroy entire floors and apartment entrances. As a result, even residents whose apartments remain structurally intact are often forced to evacuate because of the risk of further collapse.

Russian missile campaign continues to kill civilians

Following the attack, authorities have confirmed at least 11 people killed and around 50 others injured, including children. Hundreds of residents have lost their homes and belongings. Private businesses and civilian infrastructure, including educational facilities, were also damaged. Russia also targeted energy infrastructure.

In total, officials have confirmed direct strikes at 34 locations across Kyiv, while falling debris was recorded at numerous additional sites.

Rescue teams continue to clear the rubble and search for people who may still be trapped beneath collapsed buildings, meaning the casualty figures are expected to rise.

The previous large-scale attack, less than a week earlier, claimed the lives of more than 30 people in the capital alone. Throughout the past week, Russia has also carried out intensive strikes on Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and other frontline cities. 

During the first six days of July alone, the total number of civilians killed across Ukraine has already reached around 50.

Ukraine needs more Patriot missiles to stop ballistic threats

Russia’s deliberate ballistic missile strikes on residential neighborhoods once again demonstrate that its objective is the indiscriminate destruction of Ukrainians. In essence, this is a sustained campaign of terror against the civilian population, carried out day after day.

For Ukraine, securing additional stocks of PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems remains critically important. These interceptors are capable of shooting down ballistic missiles and saving civilian lives. Ukraine’s air defense forces have repeatedly demonstrated that they can effectively defend the country’s skies with the weapons available to them—but they must have those weapons in sufficient numbers. A lack of air defense missiles costs lives.

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