Ukraine

Russian ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson: 6 dead

“The enemy is attacking the capital with ballistic missiles. Stay in the shelters!” wrote Mayor Vitali Klitschko

8 July 2026

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Un pompiere interviene sul luogo di un attacco missilistico russo, nel contesto dell'offensiva russa contro l'Ucraina, a Kiev, Ucraina, l'8 luglio 2026. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich IMMAGINI DEL GIORNO DI TPX REUTERS

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

A series of explosions rocked Kyiv in the early hours of today, as Russia continues its barrage of attacks on the Ukrainian capital, coinciding with the NATO summit in Turkey. A first, powerful explosion was heard even before the city’s air-raid sirens sounded, followed by four more. A woman was found dead under the rubble of a building.

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, has stated that several warehouses in one neighbourhood caught fire following a missile attack, and that another ‘non-residential building’ was ablaze. “The enemy is attacking the capital with ballistic missiles. Stay in the shelters!”, Klitschko wrote on social media.

It is not only the capital, but also Kharkiv – in north-eastern Ukraine – that is under Russian attack. A missile strike has hit a five-storey residential building. Two deaths have been confirmed so far. On Telegram, the city’s mayor, Igor Terekhov, reported that people are suffering from an ‘acute stress reaction’ following the attack, which damaged more than 20 homes.

A mother and her daughter were killed and two others were injured in the southern region of Mykolaiv when Russian forces attacked with guided aerial bombs, said the regional military commander Vitaliy Kim. In Kherson, Russian drones struck a car and a minibus on two separate occasions , killing one woman and injuring nine people. Four people were injured in Dnipropetrovsk after Russia launched attacks using drones and artillery, according to the head of the military administration in the eastern region. Two more people were injured in a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia, according to the local military commander.

Ucraina, 1.586° giorno di guerra
Photogallery11 foto

The latest offensive comes in the wake of Russian attacks, including several missile strikes on Kyiv, which on Monday claimed the lives of 30 people. In Ankara, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky urged Ukraine’s supporters to step up aid for the country’s air defence, which is suffering from a shortage of interceptors crucial for shooting down Russian missiles.

Although it is capable of countering the swarms of Russian drones targeting the country, Ukraine is finding it difficult to cope with the Kremlin’s new strategy of bombarding Kyiv with ballistic missiles.

Ukraine’s response to the attacks

In response to the attacks, overnight Ukrainian drones struck the Saratov oil refinery in Russia and a petrochemical plant in Tatarstan. This was reported by The Kyiv Independent. According to the Telegram channel Exilenova Plus, the Saratov oil refinery was set alight.

The Russian Ministry of Defence had issued a warning about the threat of a drone attack in the region, as previously stated by the governor of the Saratov Oblast Roman Busargin. Saratov is located approximately 460 kilometres east of the Ukrainian border with Russia.

In Nizhnekamsk, in Tatarstan, according to a report by Exilenova Plus, a petrochemical plant has been struck by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine regularly targets Russian military infrastructure in an attempt to weaken Moscow’s ability to continue its war.

According to reports from local authorities and social media, Ukrainian missiles also struck Belgorod Airport and a gas pipeline facility, whilst a power cut was reported in the Belgorod Oblast on the night of 7 July. “Belgorod and the Belgorod district were subjected to a massive missile attack by the Ukrainian armed forces last night” said the governor Alexander Shuvaev, confirming the Ukrainian missile attacks in the region without specifically mentioning the infrastructure that was reportedly targeted.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has announced that 415 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across 17 Russian regions, including the Moscow region, the occupied Crimea, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. One person was killed and several others injured in the Saratov region. A further four injuries have been reported in Tatarstan. In the Sea of Azov, two tankers sailing towards Rostov-on-Don were hit in a drone attack that left two people injured. The two vessels were empty, so there has been no water pollution.

Meloni meets Zelensky in Ankara

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Ukrainian President Zelensky today on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara. “During the meeting,” explains a statement from Palazzo Chigi, “Italia’s firm commitment to stand alongside Ukraine and to support a path leading to a just and lasting peace was reaffirmed.”

Meloni “also confirmed that Italy would continue to provide assistance to the Ukrainian people, with a particular focus on measures aimed at strengthening the resilience of the energy infrastructure, which has been severely affected by Russian attacks”.