Three Killed, Including Child, as Russia Launches Ballistic Missiles and 151 Drones at Ukraine

Russia launched a combined overnight attack against Ukraine using ballistic missiles, S-400 surface-to-surface missiles, and 151 attack and decoy drones, killing three civilians—including a young child—in the Kyiv region, while Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 135 drones.

According to the Air Force on August 8, Russian forces launched six Iskander-M ballistic missiles, S-400 missiles from Russia’s Bryansk region, and a mix of Shahed-type attack drones, Gerbera, Italmas, Parodiya decoy drones, and jet-powered UAVs from multiple launch sites in Russia and temporarily occupied Crimea.

The Air Force said Ukrainian aviation, air defense missile units, electronic warfare systems, unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups were involved in repelling the attack. By 09:00 local time, air defenses had shot down or electronically suppressed 135 drones over northern, southern, and eastern Ukraine.

Officials reported confirmed impacts from missiles and 13 attack drones at 12 locations, while debris from intercepted targets fell in seven additional locations. The Air Force added that several Russian missiles failed to reach their intended targets, with the assessment still ongoing.

In Kyiv, the State Emergency Service (SES) reported fires in the Holosiivskyi and Obolonskyi districts following the attack. A fire covering approximately 1,000 square meters broke out across two garage sites and a non-residential storage building in Holosiivskyi district, while another fire occurred at an industrial facility in Obolonskyi district.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko later said four people were injured, with three treated on an outpatient basis and one receiving medical assistance at the scene.

The most severe civilian casualties were reported in the village of Pukhivka in Kyiv region’s Brovary district. According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service and the Office of the Prosecutor General, five Russian drones struck a private home at around 00:40 local time, completely destroying the two-story building.

Three people were killed, including a three-year-old boy and his grandparents. The child’s parents sustained shrapnel wounds and burns, while his 15-year-old brother was hospitalized with severe burns. A 21-year-old neighbor was also injured after assisting the family following the strike.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said investigators have opened a war crimes investigation into the attack under Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code.

Ukraine’s Air Force has repeatedly identified ballistic missiles as the most difficult threat to intercept due to a shortage of interceptor missiles. According to the Ministry of Defense, Russia launched 195 ballistic missiles in July, of which Ukrainian air defenses intercepted only 29, while another 40 failed to reach their targets. The ministry said it is working with international partners to strengthen the country’s layered air defense and increase supplies of interceptor missiles.

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