A drone attack near Kyiv killed 10 people and injured about 100 at an exhibition showing drone technology, as strikes spread across Ukraine and Russia.
A drone attack near Kyiv killed 10 people on Friday and left about 100 others injured after missiles struck an exhibition showcasing drone technology, Ukrainian officials said. The drone attack near Kyiv hit a public event tied to the country’s defense sector, adding fresh tension to a war already marked by strikes deep inside both Ukraine and Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the daytime assault wounded roughly 100 people. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ihnat told Ukrainian television that three ballistic missiles were used and that only one was intercepted. Russia later confirmed the strike, saying its forces had used high-precision long-range weapons against a site where drones intended for targeting civil sites in Russia were being displayed.
The attack also raised immediate concern for two people connected to Ukraine’s drone efforts, Defence Ministry adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov, known as Flash, and Lyuba Shypovych, who has been involved in developing technology for the Ukrainian army. Both later said on social media that they were unharmed. Beskrestnov said he had stayed away from the event because of security concerns.
Ukrainian officials said the exhibition was attended by prominent figures in the defense sector. Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed producers of drones, along with representatives of Ukraine’s drone forces and security services, were present and were “directly planning and carrying out strikes on Russian territory.” Ukrainian leaders said the incident was being investigated, while the prosecutor-general said authorities were working to determine who approved the event and what safety measures were in place.
“A drone attack near Kyiv killed 10 people and injured about 100 at an exhibition showing drone technology, as strikes spread across Ukraine and Russia.”
The dead and wounded near Kyiv were part of a wider wave of violence across the front and beyond. Five people were killed in Russian glide bomb attacks in Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine, and officials said two men were killed early Saturday in the northern city of Sumy. Zelensky also said he had intelligence on Friday evening suggesting Russia was preparing another major missile strike that could come “within the next 48 hours.”
Ukraine, meanwhile, carried out its own strikes on Russian territory. Zelensky said a strike on Kirov killed six people and wounded 26, and he described the target as one of Russia’s key military facilities supplying components for aircraft and missile equipment used in attacks on Ukraine. Ukrainian forces also hit warehouses belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s biggest online retailer, with strikes in the St Petersburg area reported over several days.
Those attacks have put pressure on Russian businesses, especially small and medium-sized firms that rely on Wildberries. Kyiv says it is focusing on logistics hubs because they can be used to buy military equipment and help sustain Russian supply lines. The exchange of strikes shows how the war is reaching far from the battlefield, with civilian spaces, industrial sites, and transport networks all pulled into the fight.
Zelensky is also expected to travel to the United States next week and meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday, according to a White House official, as Washington works to revive peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. The latest strikes show how fragile that effort remains. For Americans, the takeaway is simple: the war is still expanding in reach, and any push for peace will have to contend with a battlefield that now stretches across borders and deep into civilian life.
Frequently asked questions
What happened near Kyiv on Friday?
A drone and missile attack hit an exhibition of drone technology near Kyiv, killing 10 people and injuring about 100 others, Ukrainian officials said.
How many missiles were used in the attack?
Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ihnat said three ballistic missiles were used and only one was intercepted.
Did Russia acknowledge the strike?
Yes. Russia later confirmed the strike and said its forces used high-precision long-range weapons against a site where drones for targeting civil sites in Russia were being displayed.
Were any notable defense figures harmed at the exhibition?
Two people connected to Ukraine’s drone efforts, Serhiy Beskrestnov and Lyuba Shypovych, later said on social media that they were unharmed.
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