Tonight, terrorist Russia once again killed the capital of Ukraine.
Not on the front line. Not in the trenches. Not during a battle with Ukrainian soldiers.
Putin’s troops struck Kyiv and the Kyiv region with ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles, and jet drones. The railway station, warehouses of civilian enterprises, building materials production, a brewing company, and ordinary civilian logistics facilities were hit.
As of 09:32 on August 5, 2026, Volodymyr Zelensky reported 17 dead and 44 injured. The President of Ukraine published these figures on the official Telegram channel, expressing condolences to the families of the deceased.
This number reflects the situation exactly at 09:32. Rescue operations continued, so earlier and later separate reports from Kyiv and the region might contain different figures. They cannot be mechanically summed up: data came in at different times and could be clarified after identifying the deceased and checking the lists of the injured.
143 means of attack against Kyiv and the region
The Russian attack began on the evening of August 4. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, from 18:00 Russia used 143 air attack means.
Among them:
- 24 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles;
- four Zircon/Onyx anti-ship missiles;
- 115 drones Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, Parody, and other types;
- a significant part of the Shahed strike drones were equipped with jet engines.
The main direction of the attack was the Kyiv region. As of 08:30, Ukrainian air defense reported the destruction or suppression of 98 drones. The official morning report did not mention the interception of any of the 28 launched missiles.
This needs to be formulated precisely.
It cannot be claimed that all anti-missiles in Ukraine have run out or that air defense has completely ceased to exist. Ukrainian forces destroyed dozens of Russian drones. However, there was not enough protection against the salvo of ballistic and anti-ship missiles that night.
And the result is measured not by interception percentages. It is measured by the bodies of people.
Eight people died because they didn’t make it to the last train
The most terrible story of this attack happened at the Kvitneva railway station in the Brovary district of the Kyiv region.
The head of the Brovary district military administration, Vitaliy Bigun, reported that eight people died on the platform. The electric train was delayed, so people did not manage to board the last train and stayed waiting at the station. Nearby, Russian troops attacked logistics and warehouse facilities.
Ukrzaliznytsia confirmed that the deceased were found on the territory of the railway platform near the attacked logistics centers. During the massive strike, train traffic and station operations were temporarily halted, and passengers and staff were evacuated.
A few minutes of delay.
Just a few minutes between an ordinary trip and death.
People stood on the platform, waiting for the train, and probably thought about home, work, relatives, or how to get to the next station. They were not involved in the war. They did not operate weapons. They were not at a military facility.
Russia killed them near the last train.
And after this, Russian propaganda will again talk about some ‘logistics strikes,’ as if the word ‘logistics’ cancels the presence of living people.
Russia destroyed enterprises that ensure ordinary life
Zelensky specifically emphasized that the main targets of the attack were the warehouses of civilian enterprises. He listed a brewing company, building materials warehouses, and civilian logistics — objects not related to military operations.
One of the heaviest blows was dealt to the infrastructure of the Epicenter group of companies — Ukraine’s largest retailer of building materials and home goods.
The company reported the complete destruction of two large warehouse complexes. In the logistics and production complex in Kalynivka, an employee died, and three more workers were injured and hospitalized.
A missile also hit the production site of Epicentr Ceramic Corporation. Industrial furnaces were destroyed, forcing the enterprise to stop. About 20 employee cars burned completely near the complex. Full restoration of production may take from one and a half to two years.
This is not just the loss of a few buildings.
These are destroyed jobs, disrupted supplies, halted production, and years of work destroyed in a few minutes by Russian missiles.
Russia is fighting not only against the Ukrainian army. It is trying to destroy Ukraine’s ability to live: to build houses, transport goods, produce products, send parcels, use the railway, and maintain the economy.
NANews — News of Israel has already written about how Russian terrorists deliberately destroy Ukrainian warehouses, publishing houses, enterprises, and civilian infrastructure. The current attack continues this line: Moscow seeks not just to cause material damage but to make normal life impossible.
What is known about the cluster warhead
The specialized Ukrainian publication ‘Militarny’ reported that among the missiles used on Kyiv were Iskander missiles with a cluster warhead. Similar information was disseminated by other Ukrainian publications, citing the nature of multiple detonations after the strike.
A cluster warhead opens over the territory and scatters many individual combat elements. This sharply increases the area of impact and danger to people nearby.
However, the editorial office must draw a clear line: in Zelensky’s post, the type of warhead was not specifically mentioned, and the final conclusion should be given by military specialists, police, and investigative bodies.
Therefore, the correct wording is as follows:
According to reports from specialized Ukrainian sources, Iskander missiles with a cluster warhead may have been used during the attack. The final official confirmation of the examination results has not been published at the time of preparing the material.
What Zelensky said about interceptors
Volodymyr Zelensky directly linked human casualties to the lack of means capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
“Ballistic interceptors are what could have saved the lives of those who died today.”
He stated that delays in supplies and the reluctance of partners to transfer anti-ballistic defense means to Ukraine lead to such casualties and destruction. Zelensky also demanded new sanctions against Russian enterprises involved in the production of ballistic missiles, as a significant part of this industrial chain is still not under restrictions.
NANews previously analyzed in detail why the problem is not the complete disappearance of Ukrainian air defense, but the acute shortage of specific interceptors needed against ballistic missiles. Even working Patriot batteries cannot protect cities if the stock of missiles does not match the scale of Russian salvos.
In a previous article on the massive strike on Kyiv, the editorial office already asked allies the same question: why do interceptor missiles remain in warehouses while Russian ballistic missiles hit Ukrainian cities?
After the night of August 5, this question became even more terrifying.
Now, alongside it stand 17 dead.
The helplessness of the West has become part of Putin’s calculation
Russia sees the shortage of Ukrainian missile defense.
It sees how many interceptors allies are transferring, how long new supplies are discussed, and how many months can pass between a political promise and the arrival of ammunition.
And Russia uses this window.
When Putin understands that ballistic missiles can reach the target, he does not become more cautious. He launches them by the dozens.
When Western politicians again call to ‘avoid escalation,’ Russia turns this caution into permission for the next strike.
When partners delay supplies, it is not the West that pays. It is the passenger at Kvitneva station. The warehouse worker. The driver. The guard. The woman sleeping in her apartment.
Russia shoots one of the largest cities in Europe almost like a shooting range — and does so because it has not yet faced a price that would make it stop.
Condolences after the strike do not intercept missiles.
Condemnation does not destroy the launcher.
Another promise does not bring home people who did not make it to the train.
Ukraine must have the right to destroy the infrastructure of missile terror
Ukraine cannot just try to shoot down Russian missiles over its cities.
If Russia retains the ability to prepare launches with impunity, deploy installations, produce ballistics, receive foreign components, and choose the time of the next attack, the initiative remains with the aggressor.
Ukraine must receive modern means and the political right to destroy:
- launchers before launch;
- stockpiles of ready missiles;
- strike control centers;
- enterprises of the Russian missile program;
- transport hubs used for weapon transfer;
- supply chains of electronics and components;
- financial intermediaries servicing military production.
This is not revenge. This is the protection of people.
The state is not obliged to wait until a missile is launched towards its capital and then try to shoot it down over residential areas.
What this attack means for Israel
Israelis do not need an explanation of how a ballistic missile differs from a diplomatic statement.
Israel has been building a multi-layered missile defense system for decades because it understood: one complex is not enough, one type of interceptor is not enough, and even the most modern system is powerless without a stock of missiles.
For Israel, the story of Kyiv is not a distant war ‘somewhere in Europe.’ Relatives and friends of Israelis live in Kyiv, Jewish communities, diplomats, volunteers, and people connected with Israel by thousands of family and historical ties work there.
Israel has already participated in strengthening Ukrainian missile defense: Ambassador Michael Brodsky confirmed the transfer of Patriot systems to Ukraine, previously in service in Israel.
But the night of August 5 showed that even transferred systems do not solve the problem without a sufficient number of interceptors.
NANews — News of Israel considers this attack as part of the overall Israeli-Ukrainian security agenda. Ukraine and Israel are in different military conditions, but both countries face one basic question: will their citizens receive protection before the next salvo — or will politicians again start acting only after the appearance of the deceased?
Personal position of Pavlo Shveyko
I was born in Kyiv.
For some, it’s a name in an international news feed. For me, it’s a city that shaped my understanding of home, memory, and belonging.
When I read that Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and the region, I don’t see an air raid map. I think about the streets, stations, courtyards, and people who continue to live in the city despite Putin’s attempts to turn their lives into endless anticipation of the next explosion.
Eight people didn’t make it to the train.
One Epicenter employee died at work.
Dozens more people were injured.
And all this happened not because Russia ‘missed the target.’ The main targets, according to Zelensky himself, were civilian warehouses, infrastructure, and logistics.
Russia destroys the possibility of normal life and expects the world to once again limit itself to words.
The term ‘genocide’ has a precise international legal content, and the final legal qualification is given by competent courts. But no legal caution should hide the moral essence of what is happening: the Russian state systematically kills Ukrainian citizens, destroys cities, enterprises, energy, culture, and the country’s infrastructure.
The West must stop this policy of destruction.
Not after winter. Not after the next attack. Not after a new death toll.
Now.
What the editorial confirms and what is still being verified
At the time of preparing the material, it is confirmed:
- Zelensky reported 17 dead and 44 injured at 09:32;
- Russia used 24 ballistic missiles;
- four Zircon/Onyx missiles were launched;
- 115 drones were used, a significant part of the Shahed strike drones were jet-powered;
- Air defense destroyed or suppressed 98 drones;
- the morning report did not mention the interception of Russian missiles;
- eight people died at the Kvitneva station after missing the delayed train;
- an employee of ‘Epicenter’ died, and three other workers were injured;
- two large warehouse complexes and a ceramic tile production were destroyed.
Information about the use of a cluster warhead has been published by specialized Ukrainian sources, but requires final confirmation by official expertise.
The main primary source of the material is the official statement of Volodymyr Zelensky, published on August 5, 2026, at 09:32. Data on the means of attack are verified with the report of the Air Forces of Ukraine, information about the Kvitneva station is checked with the statements of the head of the Brovary RVA and ‘Ukrzaliznytsia’, and the consequences for ‘Epicenter’ are verified with the company’s report.
The number of dead and injured may change after the completion of rescue operations and data verification.