Published: 11:45 PM, 19 July 2026
Russia launches major ballistic missile attack on Ukrainian cities
Russia has carried out a wave of ballistic missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, killing five people and wounding at least 35, officials say. Four people were killed and 19 injured in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, while one person died and 16 were hurt in the capital Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the raid on Kyiv as "one of the most massive ballistic attacks" on the capital since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Meanwhile Ukraine has continued its assault on Russian sites. Three Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea were hit, as well as facilities in the southwestern Stavropol region, Zelensky said.
A number of areas in the Kyiv region were hit overnight. The Ukrainian military said air defences in the capital had shot down 18 out of 41 missiles. The systems also intercepted 108 drones.
Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov said a postal terminal in the city suburbs had been attacked, with four men aged between 24 and 62 killed. Several of the injured were in a serious condition, reports BBC.
In a Telegram message, Zelensky said in the past week Russia had "used about 1,450 strike drones, more than 1,640 guided bombs and 99 missiles of various types against Ukraine".
Zelensky also posted on Telegram about Ukrainian strikes.
"SBU [security service] units hit three oil depots in the Stavropol region simultaneously, while units of our Armed Forces struck another fuel-sector facility in the same region," he said.
"Precise hits on three Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers were recorded in the Black Sea. I thank every one of our units that is helping to spread the realisation within Russia that this war must be brought to an end."
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which carries Kazakhstan's Caspian oil to Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, said its terminal had been hit.
It said two tankers were damaged, prompting oil loading operations to be suspended. There were no injuries or oil spills.
Stavropol's governor said a drone attack had caused a fire in an industrial park.
The latest strikes on Kyiv involved a range of Russian weapons systems, including Iskander and hypersonic Zircon missiles, as well as 125 drones, the Ukrainian air force said.
On Sunday Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said both residential and non-residential buildings had been damaged, including a supermarket and a dormitory.
Firefighters have been battling blazes at two warehouses. Ukraine's emergencies ministry said a logistics hub in Bucha district near Kyiv had been hit, with two people injured.
The overnight strikes came after Ukraine sent drones to destroy two warehouses belonging to Russia's biggest online retailer, Wildberries, killing eight people and causing major fires.
Seven deaths and 25 injuries occurred at a facility in the city of Tambov, about 295 miles (475km) south-east of Moscow. One death and 37 injuries occurred at another Wildberries warehouse in Elektrostal near the capital.
On Saturday, Zelensky said Ukraine's operations were in response to "Russian strikes on our civilian infrastructure and on our cities and communities".
Wildberries is often described as the Russian equivalent of Amazon. The RWB group, which combines Wildberries with advertising company Russ, was valued at about $12.6bn (£9.3bn) by Forbes Russia in 2026.
Ukraine has recently intensified its long-range drone attacks on Russia's critical energy infrastructure, causing widespread fuel shortages. Earlier this month, Kyiv said nearly 43% of Russia's oil refining capacity had been "disabled" as a result.
The BBC has not independently verified this figure.
Ukraine says Russian oil and gas facilities are legitimate targets as Moscow relies heavily on fossil fuel exports to finance its full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.
But Russia has also stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities, prompting Kyiv to seek increased supplies of ballistic missile interceptors from its European allies.
"Protection against ballistic missiles is our constant and top priority right now," Zelensky said on Sunday. "Interceptors are needed every day."
