Summary:
- Kyiv suffered one of its most intense aerial assaults since the Russian invasion, with drones and missiles hitting residential areas, causing at least two deaths and injuring over 15 people.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as an assault on humanity and questioned the feasibility of negotiations during active bombardment.
- Ukraine’s proposal to restart peace negotiations with Russia had not received a response by the time of the attacks.
- Multiple Ukrainian cities including Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Sumy were also hit, with a total of at least seven dead and 28 injured nationally.
- The strikes coincided with a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, where NATO leaders discussed increased weapons support.
- Analysts emphasize Russia’s military reliance on drone and missile salvos, with over 4,000 aerial strikes since 2022, and Ukraine stresses its urgent need for better air defenses.
Overnight into July 21, 2025, Kyiv endured one of the most intense aerial assaults since the outset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as waves of drones and missiles struck residential districts, key infrastructure, and public spaces. Residents of the Ukrainian capital awoke to the sounds of explosions and air raid sirens, with emergency services rushing to extinguish fires and clear debris in several neighborhoods. According to city officials, at least two people were killed and more than 15 injured, including a child. The Ukrainian military reported intercepting dozens of incoming threats, though many still reached their targets.
“The intensity of this attack was unlike anything we’ve seen in recent months,” said Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, noting that one of the targets included a kindergarten where a fire broke out. Black smoke also engulfed the Lukianivska metro station, where civilians had taken shelter from the bombardment.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking later that day, denounced the strikes as “an assault on humanity,” describing the bombing of non-military facilities as deliberate and reprehensible. “What kind of negotiation is possible under missile fire?” he asked, referencing Ukraine’s recent outreach to Russia for renewed peace talks.
Indeed, only days earlier, on July 19, Zelenskyy had announced that Ukraine had sent a proposal to the Russian side aiming to restart negotiations at a higher political level. “We need to quicken the pace of diplomacy,” he said during a national address. The proposal, however, had not elicited any official public response from Russian authorities by the time of the attack.
Beyond the capital, the scale of the July 20–21 assault was felt across the country. The cities of Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipropetrovsk each reported casualties. In Odesa, a strike reportedly injured a child, and in Sumy, damage to energy infrastructure left thousands without power. Nationally, the toll stood at at least seven dead and 28 injured.
The timing of the attacks drew particular attention in security circles, as they came just hours before a scheduled virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. The session, co-chaired by the United Kingdom and Germany, brought together defense leaders from across NATO, including Pete Hegseth and Mark Rutte. Among the agenda items was a proposal from Donald Trump to expedite weapons deliveries to Ukraine—a move Ukrainian officials say is vital in light of continued aerial threats.
“Increased support for air defense capabilities is essential now,” noted Oleksii Reznikov, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, in a media briefing following the attack. Zelenskyy echoed the sentiment, urging Western allies to move from pledges to deliveries.
Russian forces have increasingly relied on large-scale drone and missile salvos, an approach analysts say is likely to continue as Russia boosts domestic drone production. Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Ukrainian cities have been the focus of more than 4,000 aerial attacks, according to government data.
More than two years into the conflict, Russian forces maintain control of about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. The human cost continues to climb, with millions displaced and thousands killed. For Kyiv residents, the latest assault was another grim reminder that the war, though quieter at times, remains painfully present.
“This isn’t the past—it’s our everyday life,” said Iryna, a Kyiv resident who fled her apartment with her daughter during the early morning alarms. “We wait and we hope. But the explosions keep coming.”
Background:
Here is how this event developed over time:
- February 24, 2022: Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking the beginning of Europe’s largest war since World War II.
- By mid-2025: Russian forces continued to occupy roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory, and the conflict led to millions of displaced people.
- July 15, 2025: Analysts reported that Russia was ramping up drone production, suggesting a likely intensification of long-range attacks.
- Night of July 18–19, 2025: Russia conducted earlier strikes on Ukrainian cities, including civilian areas, resulting in casualties.
- July 19, 2025: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Kyiv had sent a formal peace talks proposal to Moscow and urged leader-level negotiations.
- Night of July 20–21, 2025: Russia launched a massive aerial assault on Kyiv and other cities, firing over 450 drones and missiles in one of the largest attacks since the war began.
- July 21, 2025: NATO leaders and defense officials, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, convened for a virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting to coordinate military aid in response to the escalation.