Russia’s Defense Ministry on Friday claimed responsibility for a deadly missile strike on a defense industry event in the Kyiv region, saying it had deliberately targeted an exhibition showcasing Ukrainian and foreign-made drones.
Moscow said the site was displaying “Ukrainian and foreign-made unmanned aerial vehicles, including future models,” which it claimed were used to attack civilian targets inside Russia.
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The strike hit a private training ground in the Kyiv region on Friday, July 24, killing at least 10 people and injuring around 100, according to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. Ukrainian arms manufacturers and officials later confirmed the attack targeted a defense industry exhibition.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Russia had launched a missile strike on the Kyiv region but stopped short of saying the exhibition was the intended target.
The Ukrainian Council of Arms Manufacturers said representatives of Ukraine’s defense industry were present at the site when the missile struck.
“Today, a hostile missile strike hit a location in the Kyiv region where representatives of the Ukrainian defense industry were gathered. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded,” the council said in a statement.
The organization stressed that the event’s exact location had not been publicly disclosed and urged the public not to share photos, videos, geolocation data or details that could compromise the investigation or endanger others.
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The council said it was not the event organizer but was assisting those affected.
Later on Friday, the Kyiv Regional Military Administration confirmed Russia had used a ballistic missile in the attack, with the Buchanskyi district suffering the heaviest damage.
“There are dead and injured as a result of the enemy attack. According to preliminary information, the strike targeted the territory of a private training ground where an event was taking place. This information is currently being carefully verified,” the administration said.
Military technology expert and presidential adviser Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov, who was initially rumored to have attended the exhibition, said he was not at the venue.
“I often attend events like this, but when I see security risks, I simply don’t go,” he wrote on Facebook, adding that he avoids venues without proper shelters, those heavily promoted online or located within range of Russian ballistic missiles.
Critics compare strike to 2023 Chernihiv attack
The attack triggered sharp criticism from Ukrainian military commentators, who questioned why such an event was held so close to the capital despite the ongoing threat of Russian ballistic missile strikes.
Popular military monitoring Telegram channel Nikolaevsky Vanek compared the strike to Russia’s August 2023 missile attack on the Chernihiv Drama Theater, where a military technology exhibition was taking place.
“I take it August 2023 in Chernihiv didn’t teach anyone anything? Who is going to be held responsible for this?” the channel wrote.
It argued that public registration and promotion of such events made them vulnerable to Russian intelligence gathering.
Another widely followed monitoring channel, Exilenova+, echoed the criticism, warning that the exhibition was highly exposed to Russian surveillance.
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