Russian missile strikes targeting Kyiv resulted in the deaths of four people and wounds to over a dozen more, according to local officials. This follows warnings from Kyiv’s mayor about potential ballistic missile attacks. The month of June was noted as the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022, due to increased long-range strikes from Moscow.
Kyiv’s military administration confirmed the death toll, while the city’s mayor reported that 15 individuals, including two teenage boys aged 13 and 17, were injured and required hospitalization. Mayor Vitali Klitschko used Telegram to advise residents to stay in shelters, citing ongoing explosions.
Emergency responders were seen tackling fires triggered by the missile attacks. Journalists from Agence France-Presse noted the occurrence of more than 10 successive explosions, which were intense enough to activate car alarms.
Earlier in the week, a combined barrage of Russian ballistic missiles and drones across Ukraine resulted in eight civilian casualties, including children, and numerous injuries. Ukraine has increased its counterstrikes against Russia recently, targeting energy and logistics facilities, aiming to pressure Moscow into negotiations after more than four years of conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted in June that Ukrainian strikes were causing difficulties for Russia, highlighting a noticeable shortage in response capabilities, but downplayed its critical nature.
Wildberries, a major Russian e-commerce company, reported a logistics facility fire in Volgograd after a Ukrainian attack. Kyiv accused the company of storing drone components for the Russian military.
In the political arena, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened with former U.S. President Donald Trump for discussions. Topics included the production licenses for Patriot missiles, essential in Ukraine’s defense against Russian missile strikes. President Trump assured that the U.S. would allow Ukraine to produce these interceptors, following their meeting at NATO discussions in Turkey.