A series of explosions rocked Kyiv shortly after midnight on Thursday, following an air force warning of incoming ballistic missiles. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a warehouse was struck in the Sviatochynskyi district and debris fell on non-residential buildings in Darnytskyi. Simultaneously, Kharkiv was targeted by Russian attack drones, with three districts hit. The salvo came hours after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen concluded a visit to the capital to strengthen EU-Ukraine defence cooperation, including a joint drone-manufacturing agreement.

The Russian Defence Ministry stated that its forces had struck logistics centres and long-range drone storage facilities in Ukraine over the preceding 24 hours, destroying 558 drones and eight guided bombs. It also claimed hits on a military supply vessel in the port of Yuzhny and two other ships in Odesa. Ukrainian officials, however, described the strikes as part of a sustained campaign against civilian infrastructure, noting that the Odesa region had been hit for a fifth consecutive day. The UN has recorded June 2026 as the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022.

Viewed from Washington, the intensification of Russian ballistic missile attacks has exposed Kyiv’s shortage of PAC-3 interceptor missiles for its US-made Patriot batteries. President Donald Trump announced last week that he would authorise Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles domestically, and President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that production could begin “by the end of 2026.” In parallel, the EU-Ukraine drone accord signed during von der Leyen’s visit links Ukrainian battlefield-tested designs with European industrial capacity. Zelensky stated that Ukraine currently manufactures 10 million drones annually and aims to double that output with partner support.

The aerial exchanges have extended to the maritime domain. The commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces, Robert Brovdi, said Ukrainian drones struck 20 Russian vessels in the Black Sea overnight, including 17 oil tankers, two gas carriers and a tug. He added that 116 ships had been hit in the Sea of Azov in recent days. Meanwhile, EU member states agreed to extend temporary protection for some 4.4 million Ukrainian refugees until March 2028, while excluding newly arrived men of military age — a change requested by Kyiv to help replenish its armed forces. The next concrete step in the defence-industrial track is the expected licensing process for Patriot missile production, with a target of operational capability by late 2026.