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Russia hits Kyiv with ballistic missiles, killing 2, injuring 6, as Ukraine reels from political shock
The Kyiv Independent • • world
Key Points:
- Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv overnight on July 16, killing at least two people and injuring six, including a 16-year-old boy, with ongoing attacks causing damage to warehouses and non-residential buildings.
- Kyiv experienced at least eight ballistic missiles targeting the city, while other regions like Vinnytsia Oblast faced aerial alerts and drone attacks, including strikes in Kharkiv.
- Russia's sustained missile campaign against Kyiv has intensified in July, with seven ballistic missile attacks this month alone, exploiting Ukraine's limited air defense capabilities due to depleted U.S.-made Patriot interceptors.
- Ukraine aims to produce its own missile interceptors domestically by the end of the year, but in the short term, Kyiv remains vulnerable to Russian missile strikes.
- The missile attacks coincide with political upheaval in Ukraine, marked by the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had improved drone and missile interception rates during his tenure.
