Overnight between July 1 and 2, Russian armed forces carried out a large scale attack on Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine, using cruise and ballistic missiles alongside attack drones. According to Ukrainian sources, more than 70 missiles were launched, some of them ballistic, along with several hundred drones, including Shahed type kamikaze models.

The death toll rose in the hours following the attack. Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported at least 13 deaths, noting the number could increase as rescue operations continued among the rubble. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported 86 injured, 70 of whom were hospitalized. Some news outlets reported differing preliminary tolls in the early hours, ranging between 10 and 18 deaths and between 54 and 90 injured, figures reflecting the provisional nature of counts during the initial response.

Targets reportedly hit include residential buildings in several districts of the city, a hotel in central Kyiv, an emergency room and, according to some sources, an ambulance depot and a scientific institute. Local authorities reported damage across more than 30 locations in the Kyiv district. Thousands of residents spent the night in metro stations used as shelters.

Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, stated that the attack primarily struck residential areas, causing civilian casualties, including children according to some sources. Mayor Klitschko announced that July 3 would be observed as a day of mourning in the city.

Russia's Defense Ministry said it had targeted military industrial sites, energy infrastructure and military airport facilities in several regions, including Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy and Chernihiv. Moscow described the operation as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on civilian infrastructure on Russian territory, citing among the targets a facility linked to the production of components for long range missiles.

Some media outlets described the attack as the heaviest to hit the Ukrainian capital in over two weeks, while others called it the most massive since the start of the conflict, a characterization not uniformly confirmed across all sources.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who according to several outlets had received intelligence about the planned attack and for that reason cut short a visit to Dublin, called on allies for greater air defense support, specifically a US license to produce Patriot missiles.

The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, said she would propose new sanctions against entities supporting Russia's military industrial complex, stating that only sustained military support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Moscow could stop the attacks.

According to some news outlets, Ukraine is also testing anti-drone laser systems to strengthen its air defenses, with the stated goal of extending protection across the entire country.