Russia is once again hitting Ukraine with air strikes (archive photo).Image: keystone
The previously feared wave of heavy air strikes by Russia on Ukrainian cities was confirmed last night. Air alerts were sounded in almost all regions of the country. This is known.
Jul 6, 2026, 01:38Jul 6, 2026, 01:38
Shortly after midnight, alarm sirens and violent explosions were heard in the capital Kiev, according to authorities and media reports. Accordingly, air alarms were triggered in almost all regions of the country. Several buildings are said to have been damaged in Kiev, but there was initially no exact information about impacts and possible victims.
The attackers allegedly used dozens of cruise missiles and rockets in addition to numerous drones. Cruise missiles can be maneuvered better and are less easily detected by air defense radar because of their low altitude, but ballistic missiles are more difficult to defend against due to their high speed. While Ukrainian air defenses have a relatively high hit rate against Russian drones and cruise missiles, they are largely powerless against ballistic missiles.
Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was likely to order heavy air strikes before the start of the NATO summit in Turkey on Tuesday. He cited information from the Ukrainian secret service.
Intelligence once again indicates that the Russians are preparing a new massive strike. This is typical of Putin: right after America’s Independence Day and before the NATO Summit in Ankara. Russia wants to bring more evil and kill people. Please stay safe and avoid any air raid… pic.twitter.com/VExSG7ldZo
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 5, 2026
“This is entirely in keeping with Putin’s style – immediately after American Independence Day (July 4th) and before the NATO summit in Ankara,” he wanted to “cause even more mischief and kill people,” said Zelensky. He appealed to his country’s partners to provide greater support for Ukrainian air defense. (sda/dpa)