Kyiv Independent reported that the missile strike in Kyiv occurred at a training ground near the city along the Zhytomyr Highway. However, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat later claimed the attack took place at a private sports complex. This inconsistency has led to confusion about the exact location. Ruslan Kravchenko, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, announced the opening of two criminal investigations into the incident, one focusing on a potential violation of war laws and customs and the other examining negligence in the event’s organization.
Confusion over event details
The Ukrainian Council of Defense Industry confirmed that the event involved participants from the defense sector but emphasized that details like venue or event location were not publicly announced beforehand. The invitation to the exhibition was shared only through closed, industry-specific channels and surfaced online only after the attack. The council described the strike as an enemy missile attack in the Kyiv region and expressed heartfelt condolences for the lives lost and support for the injured.
Zelensky condemns attack
President Volodymyr Zelensky strongly condemned the missile strike on Kyiv, calling it a brutal attack on civilians in a post on X. He accused Russia of ignoring international norms and human values and urged accountability for the actions. This incident occurred alongside other intensified Russian military operations in Ukraine, including the bombing of Sloviansk and an attack on a military factory in the Russian city of Kirov.
Russian strikes on Kyiv kill at least nine
At least nine people were killed in Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine, local officials said. At least another 28 were injured in the attack on the capital Kyiv, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. Moscow has escalated deadly ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine's capital recently, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to say interceptors are urgently needed. The strikes came two days after a suspected Russian cruise missile landed in Poland during a widespread attack on Ukraine that killed at least eight people, including six members of one family in a village near Kryvyih Rih. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital had come under a ballistic missile attack, with AFP reporting more than 10 explosions. Fires broke out across the city and power outages were reported in some areas. Klitschko said a residential building in Shevchenkivskyi was partially destroyed, trapping people inside. The emergency services said at least seven people were killed in a strike in Darnytskyi district. Another 14 were injured, including two children, it reported. In Solomyanskyi district, two people died and eight were injured, including two children, as a five-storey residential building was partially destroyed, officials said.
The attack comes after Zelensky met President Donald Trump in Washington DC earlier this week to urge the US to grant Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot interceptor missiles. Asked about the missiles during a cabinet meeting at the Camp David retreat on Friday, Trump said the US had not agreed to Ukraine building Patriot missiles but that talks were ongoing. He said the US had to be "very careful about letting somebody build them". Emphasising concerns about sharing advanced US weaponry, Trump called it "a big step". Trump's latest comments regarding Patriot missiles come weeks after he offered to give Ukraine the right to produce them. As Russia has stepped up its air attacks, Ukraine has run low on supplies of Patriots, which remain the only weapon in its arsenal capable of downing ballistic missiles. "I don't think this would ever happen, but, you know, those people that you give that technology, they can someday turn on you," Trump said. Zelensky said in a post on X on Friday that he had followed up on his meeting with Trump with a "good" phone call with US Vice-President JD Vance. "As Russia's air attacks on our country continue unabated, air defence â specifically Patriot interceptors against ballistic missiles â remains a top priority," Zelensky wrote. For its part, Ukraine has escalated its retaliatory strikes in recent months, including attacks on several retail warehouses belonging to Russia's biggest online retailer, Wildberries. Kyiv says it is targeting logistics hubs used by Russians to buy military equipment, and disrupting supplies to the Russian army.
Sloviansk hit by Russian glide bombs
Russian forces launched an attack on Sloviansk, a front-line city in Donetsk Oblast, using glide bombs on July 24. At least five people were killed, including a 15-year-old boy, and 15 others were injured. Regional authorities reported significant damage to the city's infrastructure, including 11 multi-story apartment buildings, two coffee shops, two stores, and the Honorary Consulate of Latvia. Governor Vadym Filashkin called on residents to evacuate to safer areas and emphasized the danger posed by ongoing attacks.
Sloviansk, along with its neighboring city Kramatorsk, is among the few major cities in Donetsk Oblast that still retains some level of normal life. However, both cities are repeatedly targeted by Russian attacks, including strikes using first-person-view (FPV) drones. These drones are known for their ability to precisely strike military and civilian vehicles. According to the Ukrainian mapping project Deep State, Russian forces are now less than 16 kilometers from the center of Sloviansk, raising concerns about further incursions. As of June 2026, around 41,900 civilians still reside in the city, despite the ongoing threat of violence.
Ukrainian strike on Russian factory
A significant attack on a military factory in the Russian city of Kirov occurred on July 24. A Ukrainian Flamingo cruise missile strike caused a major fire at the Avitek factory, located in the northern part of the city. The attack led to six deaths and dozens of injuries, as reported by Russian and Ukrainian authorities. Kirov Oblast Governor Aleksandr Sokolov confirmed the missile strike, which took place around 800 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Despite Russia’s strict laws prohibiting the sharing of such information, visual evidence of the damage quickly appeared on Telegram channels.
The Avitek factory, which is part of the Russian defense production company Almaz-Antey, is responsible for manufacturing interceptor missiles used in Soviet-era air defense systems. These include the Tor and Osa systems, which are deployed in Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. The factory also produces various aircraft components. The attack on Kirov marks a rare but significant escalation in Ukraine’s use of long-range strikes against military targets deep inside Russia.