Russian missiles and drones tore through Ukraine overnight, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens more in one of the war’s deadliest civilian barrages in months. The strikes, which hit cities from Kyiv to Lviv, came just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing another massive assault.
In the central city of Kryvyi Rih, a ballistic missile slammed into a village home, killing four adults and two young girls, aged five and 12. Eight others were injured, and local officials warned the death toll could climb. In the eastern Poltava region, a drone strike on a warehouse claimed another life, while at least 15 people were hurt in attacks on the western city of Lviv.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed one death and two injuries in the capital, where fires burned in several districts. “The threat of further attack remains present. Stay in shelters!” he urged early on July 30, according to Hurriyet Daily News .
Zelensky had cautioned the night before that Russia was likely to strike again. “Please, in all regions of Ukraine, pay attention to air raid alerts today and stay safe,” he wrote on X. He also renewed his plea to allies for more air-defense missiles, especially the U.S.-made Patriot interceptors needed to stop ballistic threats.
Photos from Kyiv showed firefighters dousing burning buildings and sifting through rubble as rescue teams worked through the night. The United Nations said last month was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, as Moscow has intensified long-range strikes on towns and cities.
Ukraine has stepped up its own retaliatory attacks on Russia, aiming to pressure the Kremlin toward negotiations after nearly four-and-a-half years of war. Zelensky said he held a “good meeting” with U.S. President Donald Trump and that Trump “accepted that he will give us (Patriot) licenses” to help Ukraine produce its own interceptors.
Only the American Patriot systems can reliably shoot down Russia’s ballistic missiles, but Ukraine is critically short of PAC-3 interceptors—a shortage worsened since the U.S. and Israel launched their campaign against Iran in February.
