Russia Kills 21 People and Injures 85 By Bombing Ukraine’s Capital Kyviv

On June 2, 2026, Russia bombed Ukraine’s capital Kyviv. Russia’s defense ministry said it was “in response to Ukraine’s recent attacks”. This attack is by far one of the deadliest for Ukrainians since Moscow’s invasion in 2022. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 74 missiles and 476 drones that morning.

Before dawn on Thursday, Russia’s bomb attacks forced more than 50,000 people to hide in subway stations and even more people to hide in basements, garages, and makeshift shelters at home. More than 30 locations were hit or damaged, including residential buildings, an ambulance station, and a research institute. The attack lasted until Thursday morning.

“We could hear the explosions clearly — it wasn’t far away,” said Ukrainian resident Olena Rudenkova. She added that everyone is now angry instead of scared of the bombs: “I don’t think anyone cries anymore, not even the children,” she said. “Everyone becomes as focused and angry as possible.”

This anger has also been shared by many Ukrainian officials: “It is immoral to justify Russian atrocities against Ukrainians by saying that Moscow acts in response to Ukraine’s long-range strikes against Russia. In this war, there is an aggressor and a country defending itself,” Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media. Although Russia has had the upper hand for most of the war, Ukraine has been using its growing military supply of drones and missiles to attack fuel and military facilities in Russia. This has been causing widespread shortages across Russia, minimizing President Putin’s ability to protect Moscow and other important cities from destruction. Ukraine’s goal at the end of the war is to force Russia to pay for every square mile of land they’ve taken away from them.