Russia pounds Kyiv after Zelensky warns of massive strike

Russian missiles and strike drones pummeled Kyiv overnight, killing at least two people and injuring at least 20 after Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing a massive attack. A hotel burned on central Shevchenko Boulevard, residential buildings were hit across the city, and one apartment block suffered a direct strike that brought down the first through sixth floors.

Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said damage had been recorded at at least 28 locations, mostly residential buildings and civilian infrastructure. Vitali Klitschko, the Kyiv mayor, said some people were still trapped inside damaged buildings, and that the injured included paramedics and drivers at an ambulance station.

Ukraine’s air force warned of drone waves headed for Kyiv and other cities before the assault intensified, and air-raid alerts spread across much of the country. Explosions were also heard in Zaporizhzhia, Pavlohrad, Sumy and Kharkiv.

Hours earlier, in Dublin, Zelensky said Ukraine had intelligence about another “massive” Russian strike and urged people to take shelter. He cut short his visit to Ireland, which began its six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1, 2026.

The attack came amid a sharp exchange of long-range strikes between Russia and Ukraine. Poland scrambled fighter jets as a precaution during the assault.