Ballistic missiles struck five districts of Kyiv before dawn on August 1, 2026, killing at least nine people, Ukrainian officials said. Dozens more were wounded across Ukraine in what NPR described as part of near-daily Russian bombardments of Ukrainian cities.
Russia appeared to be exploiting a severe shortage of anti-ballistic missile interceptors that Western nations had supplied to Ukraine, NPR reported. Ukraine's air defense forces have also been struggling amid an ongoing dispute with the United States over weapons support.
President Trump had previously pledged an increase in missile defense systems for Ukraine but later reversed that commitment, according to NPR. BBC News said Russia has been escalating its ballistic missile campaign against Kyiv in recent weeks.
Separate strikes across Ukraine on July 30, 2026, killed at least 8 civilians and wounded dozens more.