Russia kills 17 in missile strikes on Ukraine, destroys warehouses, logistics
Missile Strikes Devastate Kyiv and Surrounding Region
By Olena Harmash and Yurii Kovalenko
KYIV, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Russia fired dozens of ballistic missiles at Kyiv and the surrounding region on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and destroying warehouses and logistics centres of major retailers, Ukrainian officials said, as a shortage of air defence missiles leaves Ukraine vulnerable.
Multiple explosions ripped through the area during the night, and fires lit up the dark skies over the Ukrainian capital, which has come under missile attack every three to four days in recent weeks as Russia has escalated its air war.
Ukraine's Air Defence Struggles
"Ballistic missile interceptors could have saved the lives of those killed today," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram, urging Ukraine's foreign allies to replenish its supplies of interceptors. Deliveries of air defence missiles were three times smaller than in 2025, he added.
Ukrainian air defences downed nearly 90% of the 115 drones launched by Russia but failed to intercept a single one of the 24 ballistic missiles and four Zircon cruise missiles, the air force said.
Russian Claims and Ukrainian Shortages
Russia's Defence Ministry said it had struck seven logistics centres in Kyiv and the region, accusing them of being used to store or distribute dual-use goods and drone components.
For months, Ukraine has suffered from a critical shortage of air defence missiles for U.S. Patriot systems, the only weapon in its arsenal capable of downing Russia's ballistic missiles, which travel at many times the speed of sound.
Since the Iran war broke out in February, Patriots earmarked for Ukraine have been diverted to the U.S. military and U.S. allies in the Gulf.
Russia, meanwhile, has intensified its ballistic strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities as its advances on the frontline have slowed considerably this year.
Impact on Civilians and Infrastructure
Bodies Scattered Across Platform
Officials said more than 40 people were injured in the attack.
At a commuter station in the Kyiv suburb of Brovary, seven bodies were scattered across the platform. The body of an eighth victim lay in the bushes nearby, Reuters TV images showed.
"People missed their last train. For now, we know of eight dead," said Volodymyr Bigun, head of Brovary's local administration, adding that five logistics warehouses had been hit in the district, including food retailer Fozzy. "The enemy continues to hit civilian infrastructure."
Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians in the war triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukrainian Counterstrikes
As Kyiv aims to bring the war back to Russia, Ukraine hit a logistics hub of Russian online retailer Wildberries overnight, adding to more than a dozen it has damaged recently.
Destruction of Key Facilities
Facilities Destroyed Within Minutes
Epicentr, Ukraine's largest home improvement and DIY retail chain, said two key logistics facilities and a factory were destroyed within minutes during the attacks, and it was still assessing the full scale of the damage.
"This is a deliberate attack on Ukrainian manufacturing, logistics, jobs and the country’s ability to recover," Epicentr said in a statement.
Impact on Major Retailers
Food retailer Silpo said on Facebook at least six of its employees had been killed and two distribution centres set ablaze by the strikes.
Iryna Chechotkina, co-founder of leading online retailer Rozetka, said she watched overnight as the work of her entire life went up in flames after strikes by three ballistic missiles.
"How did I feel that night? Devastation and pain," she said on Facebook. "A feeling that I must carry on despite everything. ROZETKA is still operating."
Economic and Government Response
Ukraine's economy has proved remarkably resilient over more than four years of war, backed by billions in financial aid from Western partners. But this year the business losses are piling up.
The Kyiv regional military administration said 13 warehouses were damaged in Wednesday's attack, as well as a manufacturing facility and four private homes, and dozens of vehicles.
Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi, who took office last month in a reshuffle, said the government would call an emergency meeting with businesses to work out how to secure smooth operations of logistics and trade companies.
Requests for Additional Air Defence
Kyiv sought more PAC-3s, the newest type of Patriot interceptor missile.
The United States is pressing ahead with talks to allow Ukraine to make Patriot missiles, even after President Donald Trump cast doubt on such a deal, four sources familiar with the discussions said.
(Additional reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic, Jekaterīna Golubkova, Ron Popeski, Editing by Daniel Flynn and Andrei Khalip)
