Ukraine Strikes Prompt Deadly Russian Attack on Kyiv Killing One
Russia launched deadly strikes on Kyiv that killed one person and wounded 13 others on Sunday, hours after Ukraine strikes conducted a major drone attack on e-commerce warehouses in Russia that killed eight people. [1]
Russian Strikes Hit Kyiv
Ukrainian air force warned of incoming ballistic missiles, after which AFP journalists heard powerful explosions that triggered car alarms in central Kyiv. [1] The strikes hit six districts in Kyiv. [1] In Kyiv Oblast, two people were injured and fires broke out at warehouse buildings in the Bucha district following the Russian attack. [3] On the night of 18-19 July, Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, and less than an hour later over 40 Russian missiles struck the Ukrainian capital. [3] A woman suffered from smoke inhalation and was allowed to return home after being examined by doctors, while a man with multiple shrapnel wounds was taken to hospital. [3]
Damage and Emergency Response
Strikes hit an apartment building in the Solomianskyi district and started a fire at a supermarket there, while a house was ablaze in the Sviatoshynsky district. [1] A shopping centre was hit in the Dniprovsky district, an apartment building in the Shevchenkivsky district, and a non-residential building. [1] According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the attack damaged an apartment building in the Solomianskyi district where a fire broke out at a supermarket, and a five-storey residential building in the Solomianskyi district caught fire with four residents rescued through windows. [2] Vrakrester from downed targets hit residential areas, and one person was rescued from a residential building. [2] Emergency responders, medical personnel, police officers and other operational services worked at the scene in Kyiv Oblast, where efforts to deal with the aftermath and document the damage continued. [3] Nødetatene continued working at affected sites in Kyiv, where the extent of material damage remained unclear at the time. [2]
Ukrainian Drone Attacks on Russia
Ukrainian drones targeted logistics facilities in Moscow and Tambov regions on Saturday. [1] President Zelensky said the facilities supplied sanctioned components for Russian drone production and navigation equipment. [1] In response to Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure, two major logistics facilities were hit in the Moscow and Tambov regions. [1] More than 370 drones were launched toward the Moscow region overnight, according to the mayor of the Russian capital Sergei Sobyanin, and between July 11 and 18 almost 1,892 Ukrainian drones heading towards Moscow were intercepted. [1] Ukraine strikes on those warehouses killed eight people and caused major fires. [1]
Broader Regional Toll
In Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian drone strikes killed one person. [1] A Ukrainian strike killed one person in Russia's Kursk region. [1] On the Russian side, a Ukrainian strike killed one person in the Kursk region according to regional governor Alexander Khinshtein. [1] In Dnipropetrovsk, the central region that borders the frontline, Russian drone strikes killed one person according to regional official Oleksandr Ganzha. [1]
Political Turmoil in Ukraine
The attacks come amid intensified Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and rare domestic protests in Ukraine over the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. [1] Thousands gathered for a third day in a row on Saturday to protest the removal of the defence minister. [1] The tech-savvy minister was ousted by Zelensky in a surprise government reshuffle just as Ukraine appeared to be gaining momentum on the battlefield. [1] The demonstrations came as the president held two days of meetings with top military commanders, fuelling media speculation he could be looking for a replacement for army chief Oleksandr Syrsky. [1] During his barely six months in office, Fedorov had repeatedly argued with Syrsky in his efforts to digitise and modernise an army strained by four and a half years of fighting. [1]
Ongoing Conflict Pattern
Russia has been firing drones and missiles at Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities almost daily since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. [1] Kyiv has in recent months intensified its strikes on Russian territory, disrupting the lives of ordinary Russians. [1] The campaign has mostly targeted Russia's oil infrastructure triggering a full-blown fuel crisis in one of the world's biggest oil-producing countries. [1] In Ukraine, Russian strikes killed five people and wounded almost 20 others in regions stretching the country's southeast on Saturday. [1]
What to watch next: Kyiv has intensified strikes on Russian territory in recent months, while Russia continues almost daily attacks on Ukrainian cities.
