Aftermath of Russian strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine, August 1, 2026 (BBC)

UPDATE 2001 GMT:

At least three people were killed and 15 injured in an explosion near a café on Moscow’s Kudrinskaya Square.

The blast occurred around 8:10 p.m. Police and emergency responders were dispatched to the scene as authorities secured the area and launched an investigation.

Russian media and bloggers are claiming that Aleksandr Chaiko, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, was celebrating his birthday at an upscale restaurant in the Russian capital.

There has been no official confirmation.

UPDATE 1700 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed overnight strikes on Russian targets.

Middle strikes were carried out overnight, with successful hits in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. A sanctioned Russian container ship, Yanina, sailing under the Russian flag and with a capacity of more than 100,000 tons, was also struck. Thanks to the precision of our Defense Forces, it was sent to the bottom.

Also overnight, Security Service of Ukraine units struck the infrastructure of three Russian oil refineries in Bashkortostan. The targets were nearly 1,600 kilometers away. These refineries process millions of tons of oil each year. Thank you for your precision!

We continue applying our just pressure. Our long-range sanctions plan is being implemented step by step.

UPDATE 0758 GMT:

Donald Trump has backtracked on his acceptance of US licenses for Ukraine’s production of Patriot air defense missiles.

Trump said after last month NATO summit in Ankara, where he met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, that the licenses could be granted.

“We have not agreed to that. We’re talking about it, but it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology,” Trump told reporters during the photo opportunity at his Cabinet meeting on Friday.

UPDATE 0741 GMT:

In a video address, Tatiana Kim, the CEO of Russia’s largest online retailer Wildberries, has acknowledged billions of dollars in losses from Ukrainian drone attacks on the company’s warehouses and logistic hubs.

Kim, Russia’s richest woman with an estimated worth of $8.1 billion, said the company is not legally obligated to compensate businesses using it for sales.

She said Ukraine’s warehouse attacks “constitute force majeure….Therefore, these losses are not subject to compensation under the law.”

Sellers should instead wait for assistance from the Russian Government, she declared.

UPDATE 0736 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted about Russia’s overnight mass killing.

Zelensky noted that the Russians fired 35 missiles, including 27 ballistic missiles, and 185 attack drones across Ukraine: “Only one ballistic missile was intercepted, simply because there are no interceptors for the Patriot systems. And it is this shortage of ballistic missile interceptors that only encourages Russia to launch such attacks that take human lives.”

Since last night, response efforts have been underway in Kyiv and the surrounding region following Russia’s strike. There were numerous fires across the city. Seven districts were affected, and, as usual, the Russians struck ordinary residential buildings. Eighteen residential… pic.twitter.com/Fr8Jb4AEys

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 1, 2026

UPDATE 0554 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky reports a “good phone call” from US Vice President J.D. Vance, following Monday’s “positive and productive” trip to the White House.

Zelensky posted that air defense, specifically US-made Patriot interceptors against ballistic missiles, “remains a top priority”. He said “the consequences of Russia’s war for global markets” was also discussed.

Vance has been a fervent opponent of support for Ukrainian and European security. He threatened a complete cutoff of Trump Administration links with Kyiv with his ambush of Zelensky in the White House in February 28, 2025.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: At least nine civilians have been killed and 28 injured in Kyiv in the second set of massive Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine in 48 hours.

Seventeen people have been hospitalized. First responders rescued 105 as fires and damage to residential buildings and industrial targets were reported in at least five districts.

In the Darnytskyi district, seven people were slain and 14 wounded, including two children.

The assault began just after 1:30 a.m. A second round began less than half an hour later, with blasts lasting until 3:20 a.m.

Ukraine War, Day 1,620: 9+ Civilians Murdered, 28 Injured in 2nd Russia Mass Killings in 48 Hours