Russia, facing energy supply instability due to long-range drone attacks by Ukraine, is intensifying its strikes on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, leading to a rising toll of civilian casualties.

According to AFP and Reuters on July 8 (local time), Russia launched ballistic missiles at Kyiv overnight, killing one person and injuring two others.

The Ukrainian military and local authorities stated that while more than 80 percent of the 169 drones launched by Russia were shot down by air defense systems, they failed to intercept all five ballistic missiles.

Ukraine has been appealing to its allies for support, citing a shortage of air defense resources capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.

According to Russia's state-run TASS news agency, the Russian military claimed to have attacked the Flamingo missile component production plant in Kyiv.

Casualties have also been reported in the southern Ukrainian regions of Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia following Russian attacks.

Russia has been launching a barrage of attacks targeting Kyiv and its surrounding areas throughout this month.

Although Russia claims to be targeting military-related facilities rather than civilian infrastructure, it is estimated that over 60 civilians have been killed in three separate attacks within just about a week.

The conflict between the two sides is intensifying as Ukraine focuses its strikes on Russian energy facilities using long-range drones and Flamingo missiles.

On July 7, Ukraine demonstrated its long-range strike capabilities by attacking the Omsk oil refinery, Russia's largest, located 2,700 km away.

Ukraine also increased pressure by attacking a fleet in the Sea of Azov, a key supply route connecting the Crimean Peninsula to occupied territories in southern Ukraine, for two consecutive days up until yesterday.

Attacks targeting infrastructure in Moscow are also continuing.

Yesterday, as the NATO summit began, Ukraine launched 430 drones toward Moscow.

Due to these persistent attacks, it is reported that Russia has recently acknowledged fuel shortages and begun importing gasoline from India and Kazakhstan.

Russia is the world's second-largest oil exporter.

With clashes continuing despite the end-of-war agreement between the United States and Iran, the possibility of resuming peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine remains uncertain.

Yesterday, the United States struck over 80 military targets in response to Iran's attack on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran subsequently attacked U.S. military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.

(Photo: Yonhap News)