Russian ballistic missile strike triggers explosions in Kyiv

A series of explosions was heard just after midnight on Tuesday in Kyiv after the Ukrainian air force warned that multiple missiles were approaching. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, "The air‑defence systems are active in the capital. The enemy is attacking Kyiv with ballistic missiles." At least six blasts were reported and fires broke out in the Holosiivsky district of the city’s south. Ukrainian air‑defences intercepted several of the incoming weapons.

The attack came hours after the "coalition of the willing" met in Paris, where nine European countries pledged to create a purely defensive alliance to develop anti‑ballistic‑missile capabilities for Europe. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the meeting a historic day and reiterated Ukraine’s need for more air‑defence systems. The same period also saw a massive strikes on Kyiv on the night of 1–2 July that killed 30 people.

Multiple reports from AFP‑linked outlets in French, Romanian, Greek and other languages confirmed the same details of the missile alert, the explosions, the fires in Holosiivsky and the broader diplomatic context.