KYIV: At least 15 people were killed in Russian attacks across Ukraine on Friday, including 10 who died in a ballistic missile strike on a drone technology exhibition near Kyiv, as both sides intensified long-range attacks ahead of renewed diplomatic efforts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said around 100 people were injured in the daytime strike, which hit an exhibition attended by leading figures from Ukraine’s defence industry.
Five more people were killed when Russian glide bombs struck the eastern city of Sloviansk, while military officials confirmed that two men were killed in the northern city of Sumy early on Saturday.
Russia Targets Drone Exhibition
Ukraine’s air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said Russia launched three ballistic missiles at the exhibition, with air defences intercepting only one.
🚨BREAKING NEWS
Ministry of Defense Statement on the Strike on the UAV Exhibition Near Kiev.🇷🇺🚀🔥
▪️ On July 24, 2026, the Russian Armed Forces launched a strike using long-range precision weapons against a facility in the Kiev suburbs where a demonstration of UAVs was being… pic.twitter.com/zcYUxfbJKM
— Aleksey The Great 🇷🇺🎖 (@aleksthgrt) July 24, 2026
Russia acknowledged carrying out the strike, saying it had targeted a venue where drones intended for attacks on Russian civilian sites were being demonstrated.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed the exhibition was attended by drone manufacturers as well as representatives of Ukraine’s drone forces and security agencies involved in planning attacks on Russian territory.
The strike marked at least the third time since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 that a Ukrainian drone exhibition has been targeted.
The attack has sparked widespread criticism in Ukraine over the decision to hold and publicly promote such an event despite the ongoing war.
Zelensky said authorities had launched an investigation into the incident, while Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office is examining who authorised the event and whether adequate security measures had been implemented.
Ukraine Strikes Deep Inside Russia
Hours before the attack near Kyiv, Ukraine, launched strikes inside Russia, killing six people and injuring 26 in the city of Kirov, more than 1,000 kilometres from the frontline.
Today, Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck one of the key military enterprises in Russia’s Kirov. It supplies components for the occupier’s aircraft and missile systems, which are used, in particular, in the massive attacks against our cities and communities. I thank our warriors for… pic.twitter.com/bKYnCjRl3B
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 24, 2026
Zelensky said the operation targeted “one of the most important military facilities” supplying components for Russian aircraft and missile systems used in attacks on Ukraine.
Ukraine also struck warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, in the St. Petersburg region.
Kyiv says it has increasingly targeted logistics hubs that can be used to procure military equipment for Russian forces, expanding its campaign beyond attacks on oil depots and refineries.
Fresh Russian Offensive Feared
On Friday evening, Zelensky said intelligence reports indicated Russia could launch another large-scale missile attack within the next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, Romanian President Nicusor Dan said a Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a Russian drone that violated the country’s airspace on Friday after authorities issued air raid alerts in several eastern and southeastern regions.
Zelensky to Visit Washington
Zelensky is expected to travel to Washington next week for talks with US President Donald Trump as the United States seeks to revive peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
According to a White House official, the two leaders are scheduled to meet on Tuesday
