Date: October 7, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
Russia launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks against Ukraine on Wednesday, striking the capital Kyiv and several other regions in an assault that Ukrainian officials said killed at least 20 people, including children, and injured around 50 others.
The attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned the previous evening that intelligence indicated Russia was preparing a major assault. Kyiv residents spent the night in underground metro stations as explosions were heard across the capital.
In Kyiv, two people were initially reported killed after an overnight airstrike caused a fire at a garage cooperative, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Buildings and warehouses were also damaged across the city. Reuters witnesses reported hearing several explosions during the attack.
The broader assault caused the heaviest loss of life in Pryluky, in Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region, where a Russian missile destroyed sections of a five-storey residential building. Local officials said at least 14 people, including four children, were killed there, while dozens of others were injured.
Zelenskiy described the assault as one of the most severe attacks of the war and said Russia had fired about 70 missiles, many of them ballistic, alongside drones. He said energy infrastructure was among the key targets.
"Russian ballistic missiles remain the greatest challenge," Zelenskiy said, emphasizing Ukraine's continuing need for additional air-defence systems.
Russia's Defence Ministry described the operation as a "massive strike" against military-industrial facilities in Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions. Moscow said it used high-precision weapons launched from land, sea and air, as well as drones.
According to the Russian ministry, targets included facilities associated with the Ukrainian defence company Fire Point, which Moscow said manufactures and stores Flamingo cruise missiles and medium- and long-range drones. Russia also said it struck port and ship-repair infrastructure in the Odesa region and vessels that it said were being used by Ukraine's armed forces. Those Russian claims could not be independently verified.
Ukraine's Air Force said it had intercepted just over 80% of 46 jet-powered drones launched by Russia. The reported interception rate was significantly higher than the roughly 50% to 60% average reported in recent weeks. Ukrainian authorities did not immediately explain the increase.
The newer high-speed drones have become a growing challenge for Ukrainian air defences. Russia has increasingly used them in attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, while Ukraine has continued to seek additional Western air-defence systems.
Zelenskiy said ballistic missiles remained particularly difficult to stop and called for more U.S.-made Patriot systems. The Patriot is considered one of Ukraine's most important systems for defending against ballistic missile attacks, but supplies have been under pressure because of competing demands created by conflicts elsewhere, including the war involving Iran.
The attacks also caused damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The country's Energy Ministry began emergency power cuts in five regions as authorities responded to damage caused by the strikes.
Other Ukrainian cities and regions were also affected. Regional officials reported damage to an industrial facility in Dnipro, transport infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia and apartment buildings in Kremenchuk. Zelenskiy said six additional people were killed in Kyiv, Oleksandria and Kremenchuk.
The attacks followed a warning from Zelenskiy on Tuesday that updated Ukrainian intelligence indicated Russia was preparing a "massive attack." He said Ukraine's armed forces and air force were prepared to respond but that the country's ability to defend itself depended heavily on military support from its international partners, particularly the United States and European countries.
Ukraine has also continued striking targets inside Russia. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces had attacked four Russian targets during the previous 24 hours, including oil facilities and a military training ground in the Perm, Samara and Astrakhan regions.
The Ukrainian president has previously said Kyiv would continue targeting Russian energy infrastructure in response to Moscow's attacks on Ukrainian civilian and energy facilities. Russia has repeatedly said its strikes are directed at military and defence-related infrastructure, while both sides deny intentionally targeting civilians.
The latest attacks came as the war entered another winter with no immediate end to the fighting. Ukraine is particularly concerned about the impact of repeated strikes on electricity and heating infrastructure as colder weather approaches.
The European Union also provided Ukraine with a new €1.2 billion ($1.34 billion) tranche of financial support on Wednesday, with Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi saying the money would be directed toward defence needs.
The attacks underscored the continuing importance of air defence for Ukraine as Russia increases the scale and frequency of its aerial operations. At the same time, Kyiv has expanded its own long-range strikes against Russian oil facilities and military targets, deepening an increasingly intensive exchange of attacks far beyond the front lines.
With energy infrastructure increasingly exposed and ballistic missiles presenting a persistent challenge, Ukrainian officials are pressing allies for additional air-defence systems as the country prepares for another difficult winter under continued Russian bombardment.