Published On 7/8/2026
A series of explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on Tuesday night, in a new Russian attack in which Moscow used ballistic missiles, at a time when Ukraine continues to intensify its operations against Russian logistical infrastructure and fuel tankers in the Sea of Azov, in conjunction with the 36th summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
A huge explosion was heard in Kiev before the sirens sounded, followed by 4 other explosions. The capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed that a missile strike hit warehouses in one of the city’s neighborhoods, and a fire broke out in a non-residential building in another neighborhood.
Klitschko sent an appeal to citizens on social media platforms, saying, “The enemy is attacking the capital with ballistic missiles. Stay in the shelters.”
This attack coincided with the targeting of the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine with missile strikes that affected two areas, damaging more than 20 homes and injuring two people who suffered psychological trauma, according to what Mayor Igor Terekhov said.
These developments on the ground come at a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is participating in the NATO leaders’ meeting in Ankara, where he renewed his call to the allies to strengthen his country’s air defenses, with anticipation of his discussions with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the summit, with the aim of increasing urgent supplies of Patriot missiles, and reviving efforts aimed at ending the war that has been ongoing for more than 4 years.
Ukraine attacks Russia’s “Shadow Fleet”.
In parallel with the Russian missile attacks, the Ukrainian armed forces announced the intensification of their operations to isolate the Crimean Peninsula, as during the past two days, their drones attacked 12 fuel tankers belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet” that were heading to Crimea.
The Ukrainian Unmanned Forces reported that the strikes targeted 8 ships subject to sanctions in the Sea of Azov, in addition to two other tankers, noting that these operations complicate the logistical supply of fuel and ammunition to the Russian forces.
In terms of political positions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused European countries of pressuring Ukraine to continue the war, saying that the West’s belief in their ability to defeat Russia strategically is “the biggest mistake of all.”
In an interview with the Swiss magazine “Weltvoe”, Peskov expressed his concern about the “militarization” of Europe and its rearmament, denying at the same time that Russia is a party seeking to ignite a third world war, and affirming the existence of sufficient rationality to continue communication with the United States of America despite the current tensions.
