Kyiv under attack as Russia launches waves of drones on Ukraine

Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Explosions were heard in Kyiv on July 3 as Russia launched a wave of drones across Ukraine.

Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, confirmed that one drone was shot down over the capital. Debris from the drone landed in an open area of the city’s Solomianskyi district. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties.

“Stay in shelters,” Tkachenko wrote on Telegram, urging residents to remain cautious.

The Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground reported hearing explosions in the capital. Ukraine’s Air Force said drones were active in eastern Kyiv Oblast at the time of the attack.

The drone assault comes hours after a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, during which the Kremlin said Putin reaffirmed that “Russia will continue to pursue its goals” in Ukraine despite calls for a ceasefire from the West.

Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities have faced intensified drone and missile strikes in recent weeks, with Russia deploying Iranian-designed Shahed drones in record numbers.

Ukrainian officials have warned that continued attacks are aimed at wearing down air defense systems and terrorizing civilians.

Ukraine scrambles to clarify extent of U.S. military aid pause and ‘whether everything will continue’

When the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) halted the transfer of critical air defense missiles and other weapons to Ukraine, Kyiv and its partners were caught off-guard and are now left scrambling for clarity on the scope and length of the Trump administration’s decision. The White House confirmed the halt after a July 1 report by Politico said shipments were paused due to concerns over the size of domestic stockpiles. The decision “was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD rev

The Kyiv IndependentAndrea Januta