2 killed, 19 injured as Kyiv slammed with drones, ballistic missiles in Russian mass attack against Ukraine for 2nd night in row
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
At least two people were killed and 19 injured in Kyiv as Russia launched a mass attack against Ukraine for the second night in a row, rocking Ukraine's capital and cities far from the front lines overnight on July 10.
Throughout late spring and early summer 2025, Russia has ramped up aggression against Ukraine with a series of record-breaking mass strikes. The night of July 10 saw yet another wave of aerial terror from Moscow.
At around 1:15 a.m. local time, Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground began reporting explosions in the capital and the buzzing of Shahed-type drones. Reporters said large numbers of drones were flying over the Pechersk neighborhood, a historical district in the city center.
Later in the night, reporters said they heard several dozen explosions and the distinctive sound of ballistic missiles. At least an hour of near-constant explosions rolled through the city.
Blast waves also set off car alarms throughout Kyiv, adding to the roar of drones, ballistic missiles, and air defense fire. Air raid alerts ended at approximately 7 a.m. in Kyiv Oblast.
Ukraine's Air Force issued multiple alerts overnight, warning that groups of Russian drones were targeting regions throughout the country, including the far-western Ternopil and Rivne oblasts.
The attack caused fires at apartment buildings in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi and Darnytskyi districts, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. Gas stations and garages are also in flames, he said, and medics have been dispatched to the scene.
Two people were killed in the Russian attack, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, reported. Both fatalities were women – a 68-year-old resident and a 22-year-old police officer, the Interior Ministry said.
At least 19 people have been injured, with at least 10 hospitalized, local authorities reported, adding that some of the injured sustained shrapnel wounds.
In the Podilskyi district, a primary healthcare center "was almost completely destroyed" in the Russian attack, Klitchsko later reported.
The attack damaged the studio of the Kanal 5 television channel, owned by former President Petro Poroshenko. While no employees were injured, filming equipment sustained damage, causing a temporary disruption to broadcasting.
It remains unclear whether Russia targeted or hit any military or other strategic targets in the attack, as Ukrainian authorities largely do not disclose such information for security reasons. This makes the full extent of casualties and damage impossible to verify.
Russian forces launched 397 drones against Ukraine overnight, with almost 200 of them being Shahed-type kamikaze drones and the rest decoys used to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, according to the Air Force.
Russia also fired eight Iskander-M ballistic missiles, six Kh-101 cruise missiles, and four S-300 guided air defense missiles, targeting primarily Kyiv, the statement read.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 164 Shahed-type drones, eight Iskander-M missiles, and six Kh-101 missiles. Some 204 drones and missiles reportedly disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare.
"This is a clear escalation of terror by Russia — hundreds of 'Shaheds' every night, constant strikes, and massive attacks on Ukrainian cities," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.
"Today, I will be speaking with partners — in particular within the Coalition of the Willing — about additional funding for the production of interceptor drones and the supply of air defense systems for Ukraine."
Meanwhile, in Kherson, two people were injured by drone strikes during the countrywide mass assault overnight on July 10.
"A 63-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man were hit. They suffered blast injuries and multiple shrapnel wounds. The victims were hospitalized in moderate condition," the Kherson City Military Administration said in a Telegram post.
Another four were injured by Russian artillery fire in Kherson late on July 9.
The night before, Russia slammed Ukraine with its largest missile and drone attack since the start of the full-scale war, targeting the western city of Lutsk with its heaviest barrage.
