Russia has launched a ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, with more than 10 explosions reported across the city shortly after midnight
on Thursday. Kyiv Independent journalists said explosions were heard in several districts, including Sviatoshynskyi, Solomianskyi and Shevchenkivskyi. The blasts shook houses and triggered car alarms. In the Solomianskyi district, debris fell near a five-storey residential building, breaking windows and starting a fire, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. A children's hospital building in the district was also damaged, with windows blown out and cars set alight on the hospital grounds. Ukraine's Air Force warned during the attack that ballistic missiles were heading towards Kyiv. It also reported Russian Zircon missiles being launched from Russia's Kursk region towards the capital. Klitschko said a strike had hit the grounds of a non-residential building in the Sviatoshynskyi district. Non-residential buildings were also reported to be on fire in the Darnytskyi district. He urged residents to remain in shelters while the attack was continuing.
Russia is mounting a massive missile attack against the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, tonight.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 19, 2026
Several targets have been already hit, including at least one apartment building. pic.twitter.com/jNb0Szs0A2
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Ukraine has been facing a shortage of interceptor missiles for its Patriot air defence systems, which are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Russia has increased the number of ballistic missiles used in mass attacks in recent weeks.
The attack came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian strikes were causing damage inside Russia. "Of course, such attacks have not caused, and could not cause, critical consequences. However, they do inflict damage; this is obvious, and we fully understand and acknowledge it," Putin told a conference of ministers and business leaders focused on the economy.
Ukraine has increased its long-range attacks on critical Russian energy infrastructure in recent months.
Meanwhile, Russians are withdrawing billions of dollars from the country's banks amid fears that the government could seize deposits to help finance the war, according to a report by The Washington Post.
WATCH: Russia launches massive missile strike on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv pic.twitter.com/UmrsMu4q2v
— Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) August 19, 2026
Nearly 286.4bn roubles were withdrawn during the first two weeks of August, according to Russian Central Bank data cited by the newspaper.
That followed withdrawals of $7.3bn in July and more than $4.5bn in June.
Alexandra Prokopenko, a former adviser to the Russian Central Bank, said the withdrawals reflected growing concerns among the Russian public. "This is all a consequence of the fear that the government will do something with the banking system, that it could nationalise deposits."
The latest Russian attack comes as both sides continue to step up long-range strikes more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
