Nine dead, 28 wounded in Ukrainian capital after Russian bombing attack

Russian attacks on Ukraine's capital have resulted in at least nine fatalities and over two dozen injuries, according to local officials, with residential areas and homes bearing the brunt of the damage and fires.

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Recent months have seen a significant escalation in attacks between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow intensifying its long-range strikes on Ukrainian cities and Kiev seeking air defence support from its allies.

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The United Nations has reported that June was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022, underscoring the worsening security situation in the country.

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Ukraine's state emergency service has confirmed that the latest Russian attack targeted five regions of Kyiv, claiming nine lives and injuring 28 people, including four children.

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Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned residents to seek shelter, stating "Explosions in the city. Kyiv is under ballistic missile attack. Stay in shelters!" in a Telegram post.

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AFP journalists on the ground reported hearing over 10 consecutive explosions, which triggered car alarms and caused widespread disruption in the city.

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Russia's defence ministry claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it had launched a "massive strike" in the Kyiv region targeting "military-industrial complex enterprises and logistics centres".

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In Kyiv's Darnytsky district, the attacks damaged multiple buildings and vehicles, resulting in seven fatalities and 14 injuries, according to local authorities.

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Two people were killed and eight others injured in the Solomiansky district, where a five-storey residential building was damaged in the strikes.

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Resident Kateryna Kravchenko, 75, described the devastation, saying "Everything was smashed, the windows, everything," and expressed her concern about the future, stating "I can barely stand. I don’t know how I’m going to get through all this."

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Another resident, Oksana, 46, said she planned to leave the area, citing the lack of guarantee that such attacks would not happen again, saying "You can’t stay here after something like this."

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Emergency services have reported that over 100 people have been rescued from impacted areas, with photos posted on Telegram showing firefighters and rescue workers responding to the crisis.

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Ukraine has also intensified its retaliatory strikes on Russia, with the aim of pressuring Moscow to negotiate an end to the nearly four-and-a-half-year conflict.

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Russia's ministry of defence claimed to have intercepted and destroyed 274 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Russian online retail giant Wildberries reported a fire at its logistics facility in Volgograd following an overnight attack.

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Kyiv has accused Wildberries of storing drone parts and aiding the Russian army, prompting concerns about the company's role in the conflict.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump for talks, with Zelensky stating that Trump had agreed to license the production of Patriot missiles to Ukraine.

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However, the US president later cautioned that Washington would need to be "very careful" about granting Ukraine a license to produce the missiles.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized the need for additional air and missile defence systems, stating that "it is the battle for the skies that will define the trajectory of this war" and that a stronger air shield over Ukraine would bring peace closer.