Russia launched a large-scale assault on Ukraine's capital using dozens of drones and ballistic missiles, marking one of the Kremlin's deadliest attacks on Kyiv this year. Both sides are intensifying aerial strikes against each other's critical infrastructure and logistics hubs. Ukraine has recently targeted Russia's "Amazon-like" e-commerce giant Wildberries, aiming to raise the cost of war for Moscow and test President Vladimir Putin's resolve.
Aerial footage from August 5, 2026, showed a massive plume of smoke rising from a NOVUS supermarket chain warehouse in Kyiv after a Russian ballistic missile strike. Russian forces fired over 20 ballistic missiles at the Ukrainian capital during the overnight offensive. Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported at least 14 dead and 27 injured in the Kyiv region, with the attack triggering major fires at multiple warehouses and logistics facilities.
The combined drone and ballistic missile assault on the capital killed at least 17 people and wounded 44, making it one of the deadliest Russian strikes on Kyiv this year. The warring parties continue to escalate their air campaigns, focusing on destroying each other's key infrastructure and logistics hubs. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones have once again struck several warehouses operated by the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered condolences to the families of the victims. He stated that the "violent attack" involved 24 ballistic missiles, four Zircon/Onyx missiles, and 115 drones. Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that the primary targets were civilian company warehouses, but infrastructure and a railway station were also hit. "Ballistic missile interception systems could have saved the lives of those killed today. Our partners must understand: delays in supply or unwillingness to provide anti-ballistic missile systems directly result in such horrific casualties and destruction," Zelenskyy wrote on the X platform. He added, "Partners who are temporarily unwilling to provide interception equipment more actively can help by introducing new sanctions." Zelenskyy noted that a significant portion of Russia's ballistic missile production capacity remains free from sanctions.
In recent weeks, Russian forces have increased the frequency of missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, seeking to exploit Ukraine's shortage of ballistic missile interceptors. Ukraine relies heavily on US-made Patriot PAC-3 air defense systems to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that if they could produce these systems domestically, it would greatly alleviate their severe air defense shortfall. US President Donald Trump has recently expressed a greater inclination to support Ukraine, but his stance on Kyiv's most urgent needs remains uncertain. In a July 30 phone interview with the Financial Times, Trump said he had not yet decided whether to approve the production of Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine.
Ukraine Targets Russian E-commerce Giant Wildberries
Four and a half years into the conflict, Ukraine has been persistently striking facilities of the Wildberries group to raise Russia's war costs and test Putin's strategic resolve. Dmitry Milyaev, the governor of Russia's western Tula region, reported on the Telegram messaging platform Wednesday that the Russian Defense Ministry had shot down a total of 107 Ukrainian drones overnight. Milyaev said one of the drones struck a Wildberries sorting center, causing a fire, with preliminary reports indicating no casualties. According to data from the Kyiv-based think tank, the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, Wildberries is Russia's leading e-commerce company, with its online trading alone accounting for approximately 3% of Russia's GDP.