Key facts
- At least seven civilians were killed and 121 injured across Ukraine in Russian attacks on July 8.
- Kharkiv experienced intense strikes, including an attack on a residential building that killed two and injured 34.
- Residents in Kharkiv noted increased unpredictability in Russian strike patterns.
- Russia launched five ballistic missiles, two anti-radar missiles, and 169 drones.
- A drone attack on a bus in Kherson killed a 72-year-old woman and injured six.
- A separate car attack in Kherson killed a 53-year-old man.
Russian attacks across Ukraine on July 8 resulted in at least seven civilian deaths and 121 injuries, with the city of Kharkiv bearing a significant brunt of the assaults. Regional authorities reported that a five-story residential building in Kharkiv's Nemyshlianskyi district was struck by a Banderol missile, killing two people and injuring 34, including four children.
Residents in Kharkiv described the attacks as increasingly unpredictable, occurring at various times throughout the day, unlike previous patterns. Myroslava Chaiun, a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, noted that air raid alerts in Kharkiv were frequent with minimal breaks, and the use of FPV and kamikaze drones made tracking and warnings more difficult, especially given the city's proximity to the Russian border.
These strikes on Kharkiv were part of a wider wave of Russian aggression. Ukraine's Air Force stated that Russia launched five ballistic missiles, two Kh-31P anti-radar missiles, and 169 drones. Air defenses successfully intercepted 139 drones, but five ballistic missiles and 20 drones reached their targets. Debris from intercepted attacks also caused damage at seven locations.
In southern Kherson Oblast, 18 people were injured, and a deliberate drone attack on a bus killed a 72-year-old woman and injured six others. A separate attack on a civilian car in Kherson killed a 53-year-old man. In Kyiv, missile and drone strikes resulted in one woman's death and six injuries. In Zaporizhzhia and its surrounding oblast, 10 people were injured. Donetsk Oblast reported six injuries, Sumy Oblast had four injured, and Chernihiv Oblast reported two civilian injuries, including a drone strike on a petrol station.