The death toll from Russia’s massive overnight drone and missile attack on Kyiv has risen to 27, as rescue teams continue searching for survivors beneath the rubble. Ukrainian officials said the assault, launched early on Thursday (July 2), was the largest attack on the capital so far in 2026.
According to Ukrainian authorities, at least 91 people were injured, while nearly 130 apartment buildings and other residential structures sustained extensive damage.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said the death toll increased after another injured victim died in hospital. Emergency responders remain engaged in search-and-rescue operations at several strike sites.
Officials said the bodies of five people were recovered from a suburb on the left bank of the Dnipro River, where at least eight others remain missing. In the aftermath of the attack, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared a day of mourning in the capital.
Following the strikes, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cut short his visit to Ireland and returned to Ukraine. After visiting a damaged residential building, he said the heavy loss of life could have been reduced if Western allies had delivered the promised air defence systems on schedule.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones during the overnight assault. Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat noted that the attack involved an unusually high number of ballistic missiles, adding that limitations in Ukraine’s Patriot air defence systems prevented the interception of many of the incoming projectiles.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, said the strikes targeted military facilities, energy infrastructure and airports in Kyiv in retaliation for recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory.
Source: Reuters.