A first responder deals with a fire after Russian strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine, July 19, 2026

EA-Ukraine VideoCast: Will Kyiv’s Political Turmoil Undermine Its Success v. Russia?

Saturday’s Coverage: Protests Grow Over Zelensky’s Dismissal of Defense Minister Fedorov

UPDATE 1011 GMT:

Ukraine struck warehouses of Wildberries, the Russian equivalent of Amazon, in the Moscow region early Saturday.

Officials said the attack, as well as a strike on an oil depot in Noginsk, killed one person and injured 61, nine seriously and 31 moderately.

Preliminary estimates put the damage at more than 50 billion rubles ($639 million), with up to 15% of Wildberries’ warehouse space affected.

UPDATE 0947 GMT:

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces hit two more Russian tankers in the Black Sea, a floating crane in the Sea of Azov, and a shadow fleet cargo vessel in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight.

Since July 6, Ukraine has hit 174 vessels, 119 in the Sea of Azov and 55 in the Black Sea, as it tries to cut off Crimea, seized by Russia in 2014.

Drones also struck 13 electrical infrastructure sites in Crimea and a Soviet-era Buk air defense system in the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine.

Monitoring channels reported strikes on three oil depots in Russia’s Stavropol Krai, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium marine terminal in Novorossiysk on the coast of southwest Russia, and targets in the occupied Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted, “We continue to respond to Russian strikes in a fully justified and accurate manner.”

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Russia has carried out an intense ballistic missile attack on and near Kyiv, as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky reconsiders his firing of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

At least one civilian was murdered and 16 injured in the assault by 31 ballistic missiles and eight Zircon hypersonic missiles. The attacks began around 1:30 a.m. and lasted just over an hour.

Six of the wounded have been hospitalized. Five people were rescued from damaged buildings, as almost 600 first responders dealt with fires and the destruction.

Eleonora Belei, 30, said of the blast which damaged her apartment building in the Lukianivska district in northwest Kyiv, “It was the scariest night of my life. This district was attacked almost every month this year, but it was the first time it was that close.”

Zelensky posted on Sunday morning:

Protection against ballistic missiles is our constant and top priority right now. Interceptors are needed every day….Right now, these packages are literally saving lives during every massive Russian attack.

It is also essential that pressure on Russia continue alongside our work on anti-ballistic capabilities. Delays in adopting new decisions give Moscow the opportunity to plan not only new attacks against our people, but also ways to circumvent new sanctions.

The President said Russia fired around 1,450 attack drones, more than 1,640 guided aerial bombs, and 99 missiles this week.

Zelensky To Reinstate Defense Minister?

In his nightly video address to the nation, Zelensky indicated that he was reconsidering Wednesday’s dismissal of Defense Minister Fedorov amid widespread protests over the firing.

Yesterday and today have been filled with consultations. Of course, I hear what people are saying. Today, I spoke at length with Mykhailo Fedorov. I also spoke with [military commander-in-chief] Oleksandr Syrskyi today. Decisions regarding the army will be worked out.

The President did not indicate how he would resolve the dispute between Fedorov and Syrsky. The commander-in-chief objected to the Defense Minister’s emphasis on technological innovation, claiming that Fedorov was depriving him of manpower and resources on the frontlines.

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in central Kyiv for the third consecutive day. Protests were also held in cities such as Odesa, Lviv, Lutsk, Dnipro, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Rivne, and Ivano-Frankivsk.

“Changes are definitely coming,” Fedorov posted. “There is a dialogue. I believe everything will work out.”