In new cross-border attacks between Ukraine and Russia, casualties

Kijev, At least nine people were killed and over 30 injured in a large-scale Russian attack on Kyiv late on August 1, 2026, according to Ukrainian officials. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine has run out of intercepting missiles for its Patriot air defense systems, citing a lack of supplies amid ongoing Russian assaults. The attack targeted logistics centers and military infrastructure, with reports indicating that Russia launched 35 rockets, including 27 ballistic missiles, and 185 drones of different types during the strike. The Ukrainian military intercepted just one of the ballistic missiles due to a shortage of interceptor ammunition for the U.S.-made Patriot system, Zelenskyy stated after reviewing reports from foreign media outlets. He emphasized that international partners must understand these capabilities are not for hypothetical scenarios but are essential to limit and halt the war in Ukraine. Ukraine has long sought permission from the United States to establish domestic production of Patriot missile interceptors, given the continuous Russian attacks. During a recent visit to Washington, Zelenskyy discussed with former President Donald Trump the possibility of joint production of such weapons. While Trump indicated his administration had not yet made a decision, he later told American television network Fox News that he had agreed to provide Ukraine with licenses for producing Patriot missiles. However, Trump cautioned that the U.S. government would need to be very careful in granting such licenses, as the Patriot system represents some of America’s most advanced defensive technologies. Among the casualties were four children, and rescue teams are working through multiple fires that broke out in the capital and surrounding areas, Zelenskyy noted in a social media post. According to official data, the attacks damaged 18 residential buildings, a school, the Lithuanian embassy, and other infrastructure sites. The primary target of the strikes was Kyiv, with similar reports emerging from cities such as Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have confirmed they were prepared to launch attacks against Ukraine following the July 25 assault on a ship carrying military cargo between Iran and Russia via the Caspian Sea. Mohsen Razaei, a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, stated that Tehran had planned to strike three locations in Ukraine but withdrew the operation upon receiving a request from Ukraine. Iran condemned the attack as “aggressive action” and warned that it would not remain “without response.” The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) claimed the vessel did not respect international sanctions. Tensions between Ukraine and Iran had eased somewhat by July 28, when the acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha held a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Araghchi stated that Ukraine had acknowledged the incident was unintentional and expressed hope that Tehran would avoid further escalation. Sybiha, however, maintained that all Ukrainian actions were solely aimed at defending the country against Russian aggression and denied targeting civilian vessels or people. Relations between Ukraine and Iran have been tense since 2022, when Tehran began supplying Russia with drone aircraft known as Shahed, and later granted Moscow a license to produce them on Russian territory. This move positioned Iran as one of Russia’s key military allies during its invasion of Ukraine.