Russia Launches Over 1,450 Drones and 1,640 Guided Bombs at Ukraine in One Week

Russian forces deployed approximately 1,450 strike drones, more than 1,640 guided aerial bombs, and 99 missiles of various types against Ukrainian territory over the past week, according to a statement by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, July 19. The sustained week-long campaign of aerial assaults targeted infrastructure and civilian areas across 14 Ukrainian regions, resulting in casualties and structural damage in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Cherkasy.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Following the release of the weekly statistics, Zelensky stated that defense against ballistic systems remains Ukraine’s primary operational priority. He emphasized the daily requirement for anti-ballistic interceptors and stated that delays in international decision-making provide Moscow with opportunities to plan further strikes and circumvent existing sanctions. Unprecedented ballistic barrage on Kyiv The week of intense aerial activity culminated in a massive attack on Sunday, July 19. According to the presidential update, Russian forces launched over 40 missiles of various types, predominantly targeting Kyiv, alongside a nationwide wave of 120 strike drones. According to Ukrainian Air Force, the attack on the capital involved 41 ballistic missiles – including Iskander-M, Zircon, and S-400 types – fired over a 40-minute period. This marks the highest number of ballistic missiles utilized in a single attack against Kyiv since the onset of the full-scale war. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Considers Replacing Commander-in-Chief Syrsky – FT President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly considering the dismissal of Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky. The strikes and resulting debris caused fires and structural damage across five city districts: Desnianskyi, Dniprovskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, and Solomianskyi. Nearly 600 personnel from the State Emergency Service (DSNS) were deployed to manage the immediate aftermath. Authorities confirmed that the attack resulted in one fatality and 15 injuries across Kyiv and the surrounding region. In the Shevchenkivskyi district, emergency crews extinguished fires that engulfed vehicles and a three-story building, and localized a fire in a non-residential structure. First responders recovered the body of the deceased individual in this district and conducted operations to free people trapped in the debris. In the Solomianskyi district, missile fragments fell near a nine-story apartment building, shattering windows. Firefighters extinguished fires in residential and non-residential buildings, as well as an office complex. In the Sviatoshynskyi district, emergency crews extinguished a fire on the roof of a private residential building and rescued four residents. In the Desnianskyi district, fires at two non-residential locations were localized. In the Dniprovskyi district, fires were recorded involving vehicles, a non-residential building, and a dormitory. The attack damaged the surface vestibule of the Lukianivska metro station. The station is temporarily closed, with trains on the green line bypassing it without stopping while workers repair escalators and passenger automation systems. The missile barrage also targeted the surrounding Kyiv region. The strikes in the Bucha district caused multiple fires at warehouse and logistics facilities, accounting for two of the 15 reported injuries. A man sustained multiple shrapnel wounds and was hospitalized, while a woman suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated on-site without requiring hospitalization. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.