Russia has stepped up strikes on Kyiv in recent months, while Ukraine is short of air defences capable of downing ballistic missiles
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenAgence France-PressePublished: 10:29am, 1 Aug 2026Russian strikes on Ukraine’s capital killed at least four people and wounded more than a dozen others, local officials said on Saturday, after Kyiv’s mayor warned of a ballistic missile attack.It comes after the United Nations found June was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022.Russia has stepped up long-range strikes on the capital in recent months, while Ukraine is chronically short of air defences capable of downing ballistic missiles, which travel at several times the speed of sound.
Kyiv’s military administration said the strikes early on Saturday had killed four people, and the city’s mayor reported 15 people, including two boys aged 13 and 17, were wounded and transported to hospital.
“Explosions in the city. Kyiv is under ballistic missile attack. Stay in shelters!” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote earlier
Several people were trapped in a partially collapsed building as a result of the strike, he said. Some warehouses were also on fire.
Journalists reported hearing explosions. More than 10 explosions were heard in a row, they said, adding that the intensity of the blasts triggered car alarms on the streets.
