Deadly Russian Missile and Drone Strike on Kyiv Claims Eight Lives

Kyiv officials reported that a “massive” Russian assault killed at least eight people overnight, with seven fatalities occurring at a railway depot, as Moscow intensified its air campaign against the Ukrainian capital and its environs.
The attack unfolded just as children were preparing to go back to school after the summer break, coinciding with heightened security measures after weeks of escalating Russian strikes on the city.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed eight deaths and five injuries, including two children, noting that the barrage involved both ballistic missiles and drones.
Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, head of Ukrainian Railways, said a missile struck a railway depot and other rail facilities in Kyiv.
“The ballistic strike claimed seven lives, six of whom were our employees,” he added, mentioning that another railway worker was hospitalized.
Pertsovskyi described the damage as “extensive,” highlighting the total destruction of a workshop and ongoing fires at several locations.
Regional officials also reported one fatality in strikes hitting Boryspil, located east of Kyiv.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated its forces executed a “massive strike” employing long-range weapons and attack drones.
The ministry said the barrage targeted military‑industrial sites and fuel and energy installations in Kyiv and the surrounding area.
It further noted that infrastructure in the southern Odesa region, as well as the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, was hit.
“The Kyiv region endured a massive assault by Russian missiles and strike drones tonight,” said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv regional military administration, via Telegram.
AFP correspondents in the capital heard roughly a dozen loud explosions and observed sky flashes early Tuesday, moments after the air force issued a warning of incoming ballistic missiles.
The Ukrainian air force had previously cautioned that the threat of “ballistic weapons and other means of attack” against Kyiv and the region persists, urging residents to stay in shelters.
With Ukrainian children set to return to school on Tuesday, the Kyiv regional military administration warned against holding large gatherings in high‑risk zones.
Kyiv and its environs have faced relentless pressure from Russian drone attacks in recent weeks; the addition of jet‑powered drones has raised the threat level, generating up to a dozen air‑raid alerts each day.
A separate weekend strike on an ammunition depot in the capital’s suburbs resulted in 38 deaths.
Both sides have intensified long‑range strikes in recent months, hitting warehouses, businesses, oil and port facilities, and vessels, which has contributed to rising civilian casualties.
Ukraine continues to grapple with a shortage of interceptor missiles, especially the US‑made Patriot systems designed to counter ballistic threats.

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