At least 15 people were killed in a fresh wave of Russian attacks across Ukraine on Friday, while Ukrainian missile strikes inside Russia’s Kirov region left six people dead, highlighting the continuing escalation of hostilities as both sides intensified long-range attacks.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred in the Kyiv region, where a Russian missile strike targeted a defence industry event attended by government officials, military representatives and defence sector leaders. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the attack killed 10 people and injured more than 100 others, describing it as a direct strike on Ukraine’s defence infrastructure and leadership.
The attack immediately triggered questions over the decision to hold such a gathering while Ukraine remains under martial law and continues to face frequent missile attacks.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced the launch of a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the event.
“An investigation will establish who made the decision to hold the event and whether the risks were properly assessed under martial law,” Kravchenko said.
Authorities are expected to examine whether adequate security measures had been implemented before organising the high-profile defence gathering.
Earlier in the day, explosions were reported across Kyiv as Russian missiles approached the capital. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to remain inside bomb shelters while Ukrainian air defence systems worked to intercept incoming projectiles.
Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, Russian forces carried out another deadly attack on the city of Sloviansk in the Donetsk region.
Regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said Russia dropped two guided aviation bombs on the city, killing five civilians and injuring nine others.
“Russians attack our cities daily – and for the second day in a row – their attacks have led to numerous casualties in Sloviansk,” Filashkin said.
He appealed to residents still living close to the front line to evacuate immediately, warning that continued Russian bombardments pose an increasing threat to civilian lives.
“I call on everyone who is still near the front line: evacuate,” he added.
Reporting from Kyiv, Al Jazeera correspondent Audrey MacAlpine noted that the timing of Friday’s strike was particularly unusual.
“It’s quite irregular for Russian attacks, especially ballistic ones, to take place during the daytime hours, so this marks something new,” she said.
According to MacAlpine, intelligence reports circulating through official sources and Telegram channels suggest that Ukraine may face another major Russian missile barrage in the coming days.
“We’re getting reports from certain Telegram channels and officials that another massive attack could be imminent in the coming several days,” she said.
“These ballistic threats on cities around Ukraine have been escalating over the summer and show no signs of slowing down.”
In southern Ukraine, Russia also launched a drone strike targeting port infrastructure in the Mykolaiv region.
Acting regional governor Heorhii Reshetilov said two civilian vessels were damaged during the attack. No injuries were reported, although the strike added to concerns over continued Russian efforts to disrupt Ukraine’s maritime logistics and export routes.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed its forces had captured the villages of Zakharivka and Ivashchyne in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
The ministry also stated that Russian troops had struck 27 vessels allegedly being used by the Ukrainian military over the past week, though these claims could not be independently verified.
While Russian forces continued attacks inside Ukraine, Kyiv intensified its campaign against military and logistical targets deep inside Russian territory.
In Russia’s Kirov region, regional governor Alexander Sokolov said a Ukrainian missile strike on a factory killed six people and injured 26 others.
The attack formed part of Ukraine’s broader strategy of targeting Russian industrial and logistical infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war effort.
A warehouse belonging to Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, was also struck during the latest wave of Ukrainian attacks.
Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim confirmed that multiple warehouse facilities had come under attack, including sites in Saint Petersburg, the surrounding Leningrad region and Simferopol in Russian-occupied Crimea.
“We managed to save some of the premises and goods,” Kim said in a statement.
“I would like to thank our staff, our heroes – a swift evacuation was carried out at all warehouses.”
She added that preliminary information indicated there had been no casualties among employees.
“All of our efforts are now focused on redistributing goods across our warehouses to ensure more efficient stock turnover and the economic stability of our partners,” Kim said.
Friday’s strike marked the fourth attack on Wildberries warehouses since last weekend, underlining Ukraine’s increasingly frequent attempts to disrupt Russia’s domestic logistics network.
President Zelenskyy praised the operation, describing the attacks on Russian logistics infrastructure as successful.
Writing on social media, he said Ukraine’s campaign against Russian supply chains “remains under way,” signalling that further strikes could follow.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 571 Ukrainian drones overnight in one of the largest drone attacks launched by Kyiv since the beginning of the war.
According to the ministry, drones targeted more than a dozen Russian regions as well as the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
The growing exchange of long-range missile and drone attacks comes as diplomatic efforts between Kyiv and Washington continue to develop.
Reports on Friday indicated that President Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet United States President Donald Trump next Tuesday.
The Ukrainian leader is expected to press for increased American military assistance, particularly in strengthening Ukraine’s air defence capabilities, which remain one of Kyiv’s most urgent operational priorities amid intensified Russian missile attacks.
Trump recently approved a licence allowing Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air defence systems domestically, marking a significant shift in Washington’s approach after the US president adopted a noticeably more supportive tone towards Zelenskyy in recent weeks.
“Missiles for Patriot systems are the number one priority,” Zelenskyy said while responding to Friday’s attacks.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian president also met senior representatives from Raytheon, the American defence company responsible for manufacturing Patriot missile systems.
Officials have not confirmed whether Raytheon representatives were present at the defence industry event struck by Russian missiles, leaving unanswered questions as investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding one of the war’s deadliest attacks on Ukraine’s defence leadership this year.
