According to the Ukrainian air force on July 4, Russia launched a total of 539 UAVs and 11 missiles at Ukrainian territory in a series of attacks overnight.
Kiev authorities confirmed 14 of the 23 injured had been hospitalized. Damage was reported in six of the city's 10 counties, stretching along both sides of the Dnipro River.
In Holosiivskyi district, a medical facility caught fire after hitting debris from the shot downed UAVs. A series of explosions and air defense bullets lasted all night, causing people to be unable to sleep and have to run for shelter in a state of panic.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that many cars and buildings were burned down in the attack, causing serious property damage. Meanwhile, Ukrainian's largest state-owned railway company, Ukra Ukra Ukra Ukrainianzaliznytsia, said that rail infrastructure in Kiev has been damaged, causing some trains to change direction and many others to be delayed.
On social media, videos showed Kievans panicking and running for shelter in the middle of the night, firefighters trying to put out the fire in the dark and buildings with windows and frontages blown away.
The attack is considered one of the most intense airstrikes on Kiev in recent weeks, taking place amid the escalating conflict in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 478 of the weapons launched by Russia overnight, and said that at least eight areas across the country were hit by airstrikes, with a total of nine missiles and 63 UAVs recorded there.
While Kiev has suffered a series of attacks, in eastern Ukraine, shelling from Russia has killed five people in the city of Pokrovsk and the surrounding area - a hot spot in Russian attacks over the past several months.
US President Donald Trump confirmed that he had held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin but had not made any progress on ending the conflict in Ukraine. The Russian side continued to stress the need to address the roots causes of the conflict.
Previously, the US temporarily suspended a number of important arms aid moves to Ukraine, raising concerns in Kiev about their defense against increasingly intense airstrikes. President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope to soon have a direct discussion with Mr. Trump on this aid issue.
