Kyiv was hit by a massive Russian missile and drone attack early Thursday, resulting in at least two deaths and multiple injuries, city authorities said [1, 2]. More than a dozen explosions were heard across the city, shaking residential areas and prompting residents to take shelter in metro stations with children, pets, and sleeping mats [1, 3, 2].
The blasts triggered fires and caused damage to homes and a medical facility, according to reports from Kyiv [3, 2]. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the attacks on Telegram, stating, “Kyiv is under attack from ballistic missiles and UAVs” and noting widespread injuries and fires [1]. He added, “The enemy continues to launch missiles at the capital” as emergency crews responded to the damage [3].
Injuries reported range between 5 and 11 people, with some sources specifying that 5 of the wounded were healthcare workers and at least one was critically injured, though the exact numbers vary by source [1, 3, 2].
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cut short a foreign trip to Dublin after receiving intelligence warnings of a major strike on Kyiv [1, 3, 2]. He urged citizens to heed air raid alerts and use shelters for protection, emphasizing, “I urge our people to be especially careful, to protect themselves, their children, and, of course, their families” [3]. Zelensky described the attack as "massive" and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of preparing it for some time, saying, "That is exactly the threat we are facing tonight" [2].
Prior to the attack, Ukraine’s air force warned of incoming ballistic missiles targeting Kyiv, reflecting an escalation in Russia’s offensive [1, 3, 2]. In response, Ukraine has increased its long-range drone strikes on Russian energy and military targets [3].
The missile and drone attacks early on July 2 followed the intelligence warnings that caused Zelensky to cut short his visit on July 1. The situation remains tense as Kyiv deals with damage and casualties from the overnight barrages [1, 3, 2].
