Russian Missiles Strike Kyiv; Ukrainian Drone Strike Kills Four in Horlivka as Moscow Says 133 Drones Downed

Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv early on Sunday, sparking fires and injuring at least three civilians, while separate attacks elsewhere in Ukraine later killed at least two people, local officials reported.

This photo provided by Ukraine's 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service and taken Saturday, July 25, 2026, shows the damaged center of the frontline town of Druzhkivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Iryna Rybakova/Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade via AP)(Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized brigade via AP)

The strikes come amid an expanding Ukrainian drone campaign inside Russia that Kyiv and its partners say has disrupted fuel supplies and increased pressure on the Kremlin. Moscow, however, said its forces intercepted hundreds of drones.

Rescuers search through the rubble of a private house destroyed by a Russian drone in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)(AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

Horlivka — In Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, Kremlin-appointed officials told state media that a Ukrainian drone strike killed four civilians in the city of Horlivka. Ivan Prikhodko, the Russian-installed mayor, said the city had been under fire since the early hours of Sunday.

Rescuers carry a body that they removed from under the rubble of an private house following a drone attack from Russia, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)(AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

Moscow's Response — Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 133 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian territory, the Black Sea and Crimea, the peninsula Moscow annexed in 2014.

In this photo provided by Ukraine's 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade press service and taken Saturday, July 25, 2026, Ukrainian servicemen repair the damaged anti-drone net in the frontline town of Druzhkivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Iryna Rybakova/Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade via AP)(Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized brigade via AP)

Kyiv — Blasts rocked Kyiv in the early hours of Sunday. Falling debris ignited a fire in a tower block near the historic center, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. He added that other falling fragments set buildings, vehicles and parking areas ablaze across the capital. Three people were wounded, one of whom required hospital treatment.

Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia — A drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, killed one person and wounded at least six others, including two children, Mayor Igor Terekhov reported. In Zaporizhzhia, officials said a Russian glide bomb killed one man and wounded at least six people. Both cities have repeatedly faced heavy bombardment in recent months.

Recent Attacks and Wider Context — On Friday, a major Russian strike near Kyiv killed at least 10 people and wounded about 100 others. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in an evening address that intelligence assessments suggested Russia was preparing missiles for a large-scale attack and that such strikes could occur within 48 hours.

Regional Reactions — Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Ukraine's position is "stronger than ever" and urged continued international support, appearing to reference Kyiv's drone operations against Russian energy and logistics infrastructure. In Romania, President Nicușor Dan said Romanian forces shot down another drone over territorial waters — the third incident in three days — and that a probe had identified a Shahed-type drone commonly used by Russia.

The incidents underscore a cycle of tit-for-tat strikes and cross-border incidents that complicate prospects for a diplomatic resolution to Russia's more-than four-year invasion of Ukraine and heighten concerns among NATO neighbors about spillover risks.