Russian drone attacks have devastated the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, killing at least 15 people and injuring many more. These attacks on Friday also affected the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions, resulting in a total of 21 fatalities across the country, according to authorities.
Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, experienced what Zelenskyy described as a ‘double-tap’ strike. This term refers to an initial wave of drones hitting, followed by another wave as emergency workers arrived.
Impact on Kryvyi Rih
The head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, Oleksandr Hanzha, reported that 15 people died and 130 were injured in the Kryvyi Rih attack, including 23 children. This city has faced multiple strikes during the ongoing conflict, with a major incident in April 2025 that left 20 dead, including nine children.
Attacks in Other Regions
In the Kharkiv region, a Russian drone attack took the lives of two elderly women and wounded two others. Meanwhile, in the Mykolaiv region, another attack killed four people, among them three children, according to emergency services.
Ukraine’s air force stated that they intercepted or suppressed 107 out of 135 drones launched by Russia, but the scale of attacks remains significant.
Kyiv: A Frequent Target
Just a day prior, Russia launched an aerial attack on Kyiv, killing 16 people. The capital city has experienced frequent large-scale strikes this summer. In one incident, a Russian attack killed 17 people in Kyiv and its surrounding areas.
The United Nations reported that Kyiv suffered heavy civilian casualties in July, with 54 killed and 202 injured. Russia’s intensified ballistic missile attacks exploit Ukraine’s shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems.
Ukrainian Drone Strikes in Russia
Ukraine’s military responded with drone attacks of their own. In Russia’s Belgorod region, a Ukrainian drone killed one person and injured four others. Another drone attack targeted an oil refinery in Perm and a military airfield in Russia’s Volgograd region.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to intercept numerous Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, including Crimea. The escalation of long-range strikes between the countries continues as battlefield progress remains limited.
Ukraine has developed domestically produced long-range drones capable of deep strikes within Russia. This development has drawn global attention from governments and defense manufacturers. Kyiv officials aim to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into peace negotiations, though Putin has shown no intention to withdraw.