Kyiv hit by Russian missiles after EU and Ukraine sign drone pact
Ukrainian officials said Russian missiles struck several Kyiv districts hours after Brussels and Kyiv agreed to expand joint drone production.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Russian missiles hit Kyiv early Thursday, Ukrainian officials said, setting off explosions and fires across parts of the capital. The attack came hours after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited the city and announced a new drone production agreement with Ukraine.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that emergency crews were working at several fire sites after strikes hit a warehouse in the Sviatoshynskyi district and a non-residential building in Darnytskyi. He said falling missile fragments also landed in a non-residential development area in Darnytsia, causing more fires.
Ukraine’s Air Force Command later said the immediate danger had passed after about an hour. Ukrainian officials described the assault as a major Russian attack involving ballistic missiles across multiple districts of the capital.
Drone deal announced in Kyiv
The strikes followed von der Leyen’s appearance in Kyiv, where she and Ukrainian officials announced a European Union-Ukraine “drone deal.” According to von der Leyen, the agreement is intended to pair Ukraine’s battlefield experience with the EU’s industrial base through joint projects and faster production.
Speaking at a ceremony marking Ukraine’s Statehood Day, von der Leyen said the two sides needed to “combine our strengths.” She said the deal would bring together “Ukrainian ingenuity and Europe’s industrial scale.”
Von der Leyen said the EU could support the effort with “huge technological and industrial capacity” and “safe and secure production sites.” A photograph released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service showed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and von der Leyen holding signed documents after their meeting on July 15, according to AFP.
The agreement was presented as Russia and Ukraine have intensified strikes in recent months, with civilians facing a growing toll more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Al Jazeera and AFP reported.
Regional attacks reported a day earlier
On Wednesday, Ukrainian regional officials said Russian bombardments in several parts of the country killed 13 people and injured about 50 others. Officials said the attacks hit industrial plants and healthcare facilities.
Those daylight strikes included attacks on Odesa, the Black Sea port city, and Sumy, a northeastern city near the Russian border, according to Ukrainian officials cited by Al Jazeera and AFP. The latest attack on Kyiv added to a week of reported Russian strikes on Ukrainian urban centers and infrastructure.
Russia did not provide an immediate account in the reported material. Ukrainian authorities did not report casualty figures from the Kyiv missile attack in the details made public early Thursday.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.