Russia missile barrage kills nine in Kyiv

On August 1, 2026, Russia launched an intense barrage of ballistic missiles and drones against Kyiv, Ukraine, killing at least nine civilians and wounding dozens. The attack damaged residential buildings, a school, critical infrastructure, and the Lithuanian Embassy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine had run out of MIM-104 Patriot interceptor missiles, leaving the capital increasingly exposed. He said Russia fired 35 missiles, including 27 ballistic missiles, and 185 drones, with Ukrainian forces intercepting only one ballistic missile. The strike followed a major Russian attack two days earlier that killed 10 civilians and wounded over 50 across Ukraine. Zelenskyy has pressed the United States and Western partners for more MIM-104 Patriot systems, while Donald Trump appeared to backtrack on a commitment to license MIM-104 Patriot production, saying he had not made a final decision. Lithuania's foreign minister Kęstutis Budrys said the embassy was damaged and that Lithuania would summon a Russian representative to protest. Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha renewed calls for Western air defense systems, warning that control of the skies will define the war's trajectory.