Major Russian attack on Kyiv kills at least 16 people and injures 58 others. Ukraine calls for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council following a major Russian drone and missile attack on Monday. Ukraine strikes an oil refinery in Russia’s Yaroslavl, military sites in Crimea.
Major Russian attack on Kyiv kills at least 16 and injures 58 others
Russia launched a major drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight into Monday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 58 others. Eight people were injured and 48 others were wounded in the wider Kyiv region.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia had launched 351 drones of various types and 68 missiles toward Ukraine, including six 3M22 Zircon/Onyx hypersonic anti-ship missiles, 23 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, 33 Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles and six Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles. The unmanned aerial systems included Shahed, Gerbera and Italmas drones as well as Parodiya decoy drones.
Ukraine’s air defenses shot down or otherwise neutralized 326 drones and 37 missiles, including 31 Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles and all six Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles. The Ukrainian military did not intercept any of the ballistic missiles.
The main target for the attack was Kyiv. Twenty-nine ballistic and anti-ship missiles and 18 attack drones hit target in 34 locations. Drone debris fell in 16 other sites, the Air Force said.
A number of districts in Kyiv were affected by the attack, with fires sparking across the city. In the Podilskyi district, a missile strike destroyed part of a building’s section. In the Darnytskyi region, a missile struck courtyard between buildings, Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko said. As of Monday evening, a search and rescue operation was underway. Secondary detonation occurred in Vyshneve in Kyiv region following Russia’s attack. An evacuation was ordered from parts of the city. More than 400 firefighters, rescue workers and police personnel were involved in rescue efforts, the State Emergency Service said.
While the Ukrainian air defenses took out almost all cruise missiles during a major Russian attack on Monday, they did not shoot down a single ballistic missile, Head of the Communications Directorate for Ukraine’s Air Force Command, Colonel Yuriy Ihnat said on national television Monday.
The main reason for that is that Kyiv lacks interceptors, he continued.
The Ukrainian air defenses did not shoot down a single ballistic missile.
Russia is exploiting the shortage and is extensively using ballistic missiles that are harder to intercept compared with cruise missiles or drones.
“Ukraine has a serious shortage [of interceptors]. There is a serious shortage of interceptor missiles in the world,” Ihnat said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi urged the allies to send interceptor missiles to Ukraine following a major Russian attack on Monday.
“Our warriors performed well today in intercepting drones and cruise missiles, but unfortunately not Russian ballistic missiles. And the reason lies in the insufficient supply of interceptor missiles. It is critically important that the world – first and foremost the United States and our European partners – come out of the NATO Summit in Ankara with strong decisions in support of our air defense, and thus the protection of ordinary people’s lives,” Zelenskyi said in a post to X on Monday.
“As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep ‘vanquishing’ residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror,” he added.
Ukraine calls for emergency meeting of UN Security Council following major Russian drone and missile attack
Ukraine has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council following a major Russian drone and missile attack on the country overnight on Monday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha said in a post to X on Monday.
“Every Russian missile launched against Ukraine carries a message far beyond our borders. It seeks to convince the world that violence can replace law, that fear is stronger than solidarity, and that brutality comes without consequence,” Sybiha said.
The death toll from the strike is climbing, while a Russian attack on July 2 killed at least 31 people in Kyiv, he continued.
“We call on the DRC Presidency and the Council’s members to support Ukraine’s request. Delayed or weak responses cannot stop the terror. Only strong, principled, and timely action will.
“The international community must stand united to deter the aggressor and continue advancing a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter,” Sybiha said.
Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Yaroslavl, military sites in Crimea
The Ukrainian military hit the Yaroslavl oil refinery and other military sites in Crimea. The agency also struck an oil terminal in Vysotsk and military sites in Crimea.
Ukraine’s Security Service in cooperation with other branches of the military carried out a series of successful strikes against the Russian fuel and energy infrastructure as well as military sites, the agency said in a post to Telegram on Monday. The strikes are part of a campaign that aims to “decrease Russia’s military and economic potential,” it added.
Ukrainian drones struck the Yaroslavl oil refinery and the Yaroslavl linear production dispatch station, the security service said. Explosions and rising clouds of smoke followed the strike.
An oil terminal at the Vysotsk sea port in Russia’s Leningrad region was also hit. Two oil loading standers and three tanks with oil products were damaged in the attack.
Ukrainian drones also struck the Pershyi (First) oil refinery in Russia’s Kaluga region. A fire followed the explosions.
Ukraine’s Security Service also struck three hangars with aircraft equipment at the Hvardiyske air field in Crimea.
The strike also hit a Pantsyr-S missile system near Simferopol, a mobile team in Kerch, a storage site with oil products and a pumping station at the TES-Terminal-1.
“We are doing everything so that Russia gets revenge for its crimes. As long as the enemy targets Ukrainian cities, its military and fuel infrastructure will be taking losses. We systematically destroy the resources that fuel the Russian war machine and the work will only intensify, head of Ukraine’s Security Service, Major General Yevheniy Khmara said.
