A massive overnight barrage of Russian missiles and drones targeting Kyiv and the surrounding region has resulted in the deaths of 17 people and left 44 others wounded, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The attack, which occurred heading into Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, involved 24 ballistic missiles, 115 drones—many of which were jet-powered—and four additional missiles identified as either hypersonic Zircons or supersonic Oniks.
Zelenskyy stated that the strikes primarily targeted civilian infrastructure, including a railway station, a brewing company, and various logistics facilities that he maintained have no connection to the war. Among the hardest-hit entities was Epicentr, a major retail and construction chain, which reported that Russian missiles destroyed decades of work in minutes, resulting in one employee death and three injuries. Additionally, Ukraine’s largest private postal operator, Nova Poshta, reported that a Russian cluster munition strike destroyed one of its sorting centers in Kyiv.
The Russian Defense Ministry provided a different account, claiming that the targeted logistics centers, including the Epicentr facility, were used for storing and distributing dual-use goods, such as components for drones, robotic systems, and electronic warfare equipment. Furthermore, the ministry reported that its forces downed 475 Ukrainian drones over 16 Russian regions, occupied Crimea, and surrounding maritime areas. It also claimed to have struck three bulk carriers in the Black Sea south of Odesa, alleging they were transporting military equipment, though Ukrainian officials did not comment on this assertion.
The intensity of the assault left survivors in shock. Ivan Braga, a 46-year-old truck driver from Moldova who was in Kyiv at the time, described fleeing his vehicle after shrapnel from a blast wave struck it. He noted that they did not even have time to retrieve their documents, adding that while he had heard explosions in Kyiv previously, he had never experienced anything like this attack.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Zelenskyy on defense technology, suggested that the war has entered a new phase of attrition where the enemy is indiscriminately attacking retail warehouses, food storage, and logistics hubs. This incident marks the 14th Wildberries warehouse to catch fire in less than three weeks, an event Ukraine attributes to its own efforts to disrupt Russian military supply chains while attempting to pressure President Vladimir Putin into negotiations. Despite Ukraine’s recent efforts to escalate strikes on Russian oil refineries and acceptance of an unconditional ceasefire proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, Putin has continued to refuse negotiations.
