Early on Sunday, Russia carried out its third ballistic missile attack on Kyiv this month, marking the third time the Ukrainian capital has been targeted in August. According to the Kyiv military administration, preliminary data suggests that most of the projectiles were successfully intercepted on approach.
Serhiy Popko, the head of the Kyiv military administration, reported on the Telegram messaging app, “This is already the third ballistic strike on the capital in August, with exact intervals of six days between each attack.” Popko speculated that the Russians likely employed North Korean-made ballistic missiles, though Reuters was unable to independently verify the type of missiles used.
Separately, Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of Ukraine’s air force, reported that Ukrainian forces successfully destroyed eight Russian attack drones and five out of eight missiles launched overnight across the country, including Kyiv. Oleshchuk attributed the success to the combined efforts of anti-aircraft combat units, anti-aircraft missile troops, mobile firing groups, and electronic warfare units, which collectively brought down 13 air targets in the Kyiv, Sumy, and Poltava regions. He detailed that Russia launched eight missiles on Sunday morning, including three ballistic, three cruise, and two guided aircraft missiles. Ukraine successfully intercepted five of these missiles, with the three that evaded interception failing to reach their intended targets.
While Kyiv officials reported no immediate casualties or damage in the capital, Ruslan Kravchenko, the Kyiv region governor, confirmed that two private houses were destroyed and 16 others sustained damage due to falling debris.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a Telegram post, condemned the attack, stating, “Russia always knows where it is hitting with its missiles and bombs, and this is deliberate and targeted Russian terror.” He further claimed that Russia had launched over 40 missiles, 750 guided aerial bombs, and 200 attack drones against Ukrainian villages and cities this week. While Reuters could not independently verify the extent of damage in the Kyiv region, a Reuters witness reported hearing blasts resembling air defense systems early on Sunday.
Approximately two hours after the initial attack, Kyiv, its surrounding region, and most of central and northeast Ukraine were placed under fresh raid alerts, with the Ukrainian air force warning of potential missile threats targeting the city.
This attack marks the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict, which began two-and-a-half years ago when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia currently occupies roughly 18 percent of Ukraine’s territory, primarily in the eastern and southern regions.
