Key facts
- Russia launched ballistic missile attacks on multiple Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia, on August 11, 2026.
- Explosions were heard in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia around 12:30 a.m.
- Ukraine's Air Force issued warnings about ballistic missile threats to several cities.
- A reporter in Zaporizhzhia described the intensity of the blasts.
- The Zaporizhzhia regional administration alerted residents to ongoing attacks.
- Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed attacks in the capital and urged citizens to take shelter.
Loud explosions rocked Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia overnight on August 11, 2026, as Russia conducted a widespread ballistic missile campaign across Ukraine. The attacks occurred amid a significant shortage of air defense systems in Ukraine, leaving cities particularly vulnerable to ballistic missile threats.
Kyiv Independent journalists reported hearing multiple explosions in the capital and the southern city of Zaporizhzhia around 12:30 a.m. Simultaneously, Ukraine's Air Force issued alerts indicating that Russian ballistic missiles were targeting Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv.
Asami Terajima, a Kyiv Independent reporter in Zaporizhzhia, described hearing approximately 10 explosions, which she believed to be from ballistic missiles, followed by a powerful blast that caused significant shaking. She noted the dire situation regarding air defense, especially in front-line regions.
The Zaporizhzhia regional administration warned residents about the targeting of the city by aerial bombs, drones, and missiles. In Kyiv, reporters heard several loud explosions, some appearing to be near the city center. Mayor Vitali Klitschko alerted residents to the ongoing attack and urged them to seek shelter, also confirming that medics were dispatched to an incident site in the Shevchenkivskyi district. Information regarding damage and casualties was not immediately available.