Missiles and 54 Drones Rain on Ukraine Overnight – Fire, Injuries in Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv was hit by a Russian drone attack early Tuesday morning, July 8, resulting in a fire in a suburban area and one reported injury, according to local authorities.
At around 2:29 a.m., Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych reported explosions and urged residents to stay in shelters. “Another explosion can be heard in Mykolaiv! The drone threat continues,” he wrote on Telegram.
By 3:08 a.m., the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration (OVA), Vitaly Kim, confirmed that the strike had caused a fire in the suburbs. Emergency services were deployed to the scene.
Just two days earlier, on July 6, Russian forces shelled the city’s port infrastructure, damaging warehouses and power lines.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force’s report, shared via Telegram, Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack beginning at 12:30 a.m. on July 8, using four S-300/400 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the Kursk region and 54 Shahed drones and decoy UAVs from multiple directions.
As of 8:00 a.m., air defenses had neutralized 34 Russian drones – 26 shot down by air defense systems and eight disabled through electronic warfare. Hits were reported in five locations.
The wave of attacks coincides with US President Donald Trump announcing plans to send additional weapons to Ukraine, calling the move essential to help the country defend itself amid continued Russian aggression.
Speaking during a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump emphasized that the aid would consist primarily of defensive systems and acknowledged the heavy toll the war is taking on civilians.
The decision comes days after the Pentagon temporarily paused some weapons shipments, citing concerns about depleting US stockpiles. White House officials later stressed that the pause was a routine review ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and unrelated to the President’s intentions.
Kyiv Post has learned from diplomatic sources that Trump asked senior advisers last week to explore options for speeding up the delivery of air defense systems, following his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. Trump described the conversation as “strategic,” though the White House has not commented further.
Trump also voiced frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was disappointed by the lack of progress in ending the war following their phone call last Thursday.
The shift in tone was welcomed by pro-Ukraine Republicans. Congressman Don Bacon said the move was the “right answer” following continued Russian bombardments and stressed that Putin must be convinced he cannot win.
Security analyst Colby Badhwar from the research group Tochnyi said Trump’s willingness to fulfill Biden-era commitments would be a good starting point. He added that approving a pending German arms sale of two Patriot batteries to Ukraine would be a significant step forward.
Later on Monday, the Pentagon confirmed it would proceed with new shipments of defensive weapons to Ukraine, stating that the goal is to help Ukrainians defend themselves while the U.S. continues working toward “a lasting peace.”
Source: Julia Struck