Russian missile attacks on Kyiv, Lviv, Kryvyi Rih and Poltava kill at least eight

What happened

Russian forces struck Ukraine with ballistic missiles and long-range aviation overnight from 29 to 30 July, hitting Kyiv, Lviv, Kryvyi Rih and Poltava. Le Monde reports at least eight people killed, Al Jazeera at least seven at the time of publication. Six members of one family, including two girls aged 5 and 12, died in Kryvyi Rih; the head of the city defence council, Oleksandr Vilkul, said a Russian Iskander-M launched from the Voronezh region hit their home directly and warned the toll could rise. One person was killed in Kyiv, one in Poltava. In Lviv, the regional governor reported two damaged apartment blocks, and the number of injured rose to 15, of whom 14 were hospitalised. Poland's Operational Command scrambled fighter jets and an early-warning aircraft at around 2:15 am, sirens sounded in Lublin and most of the province for about 11 minutes, and firefighters later secured a crater found at Tarnawa-Kolonia.

The view from outside

Al Jazeera (Qatar) frames the night around allied supply, reporting that Ukrainians' safety depends on partners' willingness to hand over anti-missile defences. Serbia's state-affiliated Politika relayed the Ukrainian warning and, citing Military Watch Magazine, reported that Russia has converted S-400 interceptors into a ground-attack version called RM-48U, allegedly used against industrial sites in Kyiv, with output rising towards some 500 rounds in 2026; that account is unconfirmed. China's Global Times carried only a short item on explosions in Kyiv.

What could happen next

Zelensky, back from Washington, said he expects a further massive strike and that deliveries of air-defence missiles are a matter of survival, naming the United States and other Patriot operators. He said Trump had agreed to grant Ukraine licences to produce Patriot missiles, while Al Jazeera notes Kyiv's shortage of PAC-3 interceptors has deepened since the US and Israeli war on Iran in February.

Poland's command described its deployment as preventive and in line with standing procedures for Russian long-range aviation activity.