Russia launched a wave of ballistic missile attacks across Ukraine early on Wednesday, with explosions reported in Kyiv just hours after President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy warned that Moscow was preparing a large-scale overnight assault. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital was under attack and urged residents to remain in shelters. "The threat of further attacks remains," Klitschko said. Ukraine's Air Force also reported attacks on the cities of Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih and other parts of the country. Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv at about 01:18 local time, according to journalists from the Kyiv Independent. Earlier, Zelenskyy said he had received a briefing from Ukraine's Air Force indicating that Russia was preparing a "massive attack" on the capital. "The Russians prepared a massive attack several days ago, and there is a high probability that the strike will be carried out tonight," he said in a post on X.
WATCH : Russian forces are carrying out heavy missile strikes across multiple parts of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.
The video shows a barrage of Russian M-Iskander missiles hitting the city, with fires breaking out in several areas as massive flames rise into the sky. https://t.co/OG4r0Ve5n3 pic.twitter.com/RIlHlE8Fgp— Inside the conflict (@InsidConflict) July 29, 2026
"Please, in all regions of Ukraine, pay attention to air raid alerts today and take care of yourselves," he added.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have also struck two vessels carrying weapons and military equipment to Ukrainian ports near Odesa, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry later said Russian forces had also hit a fuel storage facility in Odesa, two additional vessels in the port of Pivdennyi near Odesa, and another vessel northwest of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island in the Black Sea.
The latest strikes came a day after Zelenskyy met US President Donald Trump at the White House, where he requested additional Patriot air defence interceptors and discussed efforts to revive peace negotiations.
Ukraine has faced repeated large-scale missile attacks throughout the spring and summer, with Russia increasingly relying on ballistic missiles to overwhelm the country's air defence systems, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 3 July that Moscow's large-scale missile strikes against Ukraine "must continue".
Ukraine has responded by carrying out long-range strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and military facilities, including targets in Moscow and St Petersburg.
According to the Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian and US officials are also preparing a new proposal to present to Moscow that includes a partial ceasefire covering aerial attacks.
Following their White House meeting, both Trump and Zelenskyy described their talks as positive. In a television interview afterwards, Zelenskyy said President Putin had "lost the initiative" in the war but continued to refuse a ceasefire.
