Deadly overnight Russian attack on Ukraine targets the capital

A woman carries a cage with a parrot as she leaves her damaged house following a Russia missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, July 19, 2026. Efrem Lukatsky/AP hide caption

KYIV, Ukraine — One person was killed and 16 others wounded in an overnight Russian attack on Kyiv that included ballistic missiles, local authorities said.

The attack began at around 1:30 a.m. local time and continued for several hours, with explosions echoing across the capital.

Russia launched 41 missiles and 125 attack drones across Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force. The attack included 25 ballistic missiles. Ukrainian forces intercepted and suppressed 108 drones and 18 missiles.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said most of the missiles had targeted the capital.

The strikes on Kyiv sparked fires in five districts of the city, damaging residential buildings, office and industrial sites, a dormitory and vehicles, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service.

Viktoria Shejko, 32, was taking shelter in the corridor of her apartment block with her seven children and husband when they heard the loud explosions.

"When the alarm started, we checked that there were ballistics, then went into the corridor. Then it started exploding one missile after another," she said.

"It's very difficult psychologically, because lately they've been firing ballistic missiles at us very often. It used to be once a week or even more rarely, but now if not every day, then every other day," she added.

Rescue workers pulled four people from a burning private home in the Sviatoshynskyi district, while in the Shevchenkivskyi district they rescued residents from a burning three-story building. A fire in a nonresidential building was also contained. One person was later found dead.

Firefighters also responded to blazes in the Solomyanskyi, Desnianskyi and Dnipro districts.

Russia's defense ministry claimed the attack on Kyiv targeted sites linked to the Ukrainian military — including plants producing Flamingo drones and parts for Neptune guided missiles, as well as a postal terminal "used for storing dual-use goods and assembling drones, robotic systems and electronic warfare equipment."

Russia has launched several large-scale attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks as Ukraine faces a shortage of Patriot air defense missiles, which are its most effective means of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. Ukraine said it shot down at least 17 ballistic missiles in Sunday's attack, indicating it may have replenished some of its dwindling stockpile of Patriot interceptor missiles. During a major Russian attack earlier this month, Ukraine was unable to intercept any ballistic missiles, exposing gaps in its air defense capabilities.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is prepared to grant Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, potentially bolstering Kyiv's defenses against Russian ballistic missile attacks. However, the details and timeline for implementing the decision remain unclear.