Explosions rock Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia as Russian ballistic missiles strike cities across Ukraine
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Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Loud explosions rocked the cities of Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia overnight on Aug. 11, as Russia launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at cities across Ukraine.
Russia has dramatically escalated its missile campaign against Ukraine during the summer of 2026, as the country's critical air defense shortage leaves cities virtually defenseless against ballistic missiles.
Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground reported loud explosions in the capital and the southern city of Zaporizhzhia at around 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 11, as Russia launched simultaneous attacks on both cities.
At around the same time, Ukraine's Air Force warned that Russian ballistic missiles were targeting Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv.
"We heard around 10 explosions, I believe they were ballistics," said Asami Terajima, a Kyiv Independent reporter in Zaporizhzhia at the time of the attack. "And we just had one bad blast that shook the whole building like an earthquake."
Terajima said the latter blast was likely caused by a guided aerial bomb. The Zaporizhzhia regional administration warned residents that aerial bombs, drones, and missiles were targeting the city.
"Unfortunately I think you can see how dire the (air defense) shortage is, especially in front-line regions like here," Terajima said.
Kyiv Independent reporters in Kyiv said they heard several loud explosions, some of which seemed to be near the city center.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned residents that the capital was under attack and urged people to seek shelter. He also said medics had been dispatched to an attack site in the city's Shevchenkivskyi district.
Information on damage and casualties is not yet available.
