About 100 people were injured in the daytime strike on the exhibition, which was attended by prominent figures from Ukraine’s defence sector, Zelensky said.

Five other people were killed by Russian glide bombs in the eastern city of Sloviansk, while two men were confirmed dead in the northern city of Sumy.

Ukraine’s air force spokesman Yuri Ihnat said three ballistic missiles were used in the attack near Kyiv, with only one intercepted. Russia confirmed the strike, saying it had used high-precision, long-range weapons against a site where drones designed to target Russian civilian facilities were being demonstrated.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said drone producers, members of Ukraine’s drone forces and security services “directly planning and carrying out strikes on Russian territory” were present at the event.

The strike triggered widespread outrage in Ukraine over why a public event involving sensitive military technology was held and apparently widely advertised. It was at least the third such exhibition to be hit since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

According to BBC, Zelensky said the incident was under investigation. Ukraine’s prosecutor-general said authorities were working to establish who authorised the event and what security measures had been put in place.

There were initially concerns for the safety of Defence Ministry adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov, known as Flash, and Lyuba Shypovych, who has helped develop technology for Ukraine’s military. Both later confirmed on social media that they were unharmed. Beskrestnov said he had stayed away from the event because of security concerns.

The attack came hours after Ukrainian strikes on targets deep inside Russia, including a factory in Kirov, more than 1,000km (600 miles) behind the front line, and warehouses linked to Wildberries, Russia’s biggest online retailer, as BBC reported.

Russia said six people were killed and 26 wounded in the Ukrainian strike on Kirov. Zelensky said “one of the most important military facilities” in the city, supplying “components for aircraft and missile equipment” used in attacks on Ukraine, had been hit.

At least two Wildberries facilities in the St Petersburg area were also targeted on Friday, in the latest attacks on the retailer over the past week. The strikes have affected a large number of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia.

Kyiv says it is increasingly targeting logistics hubs after months of attacks on Russian oil depots and refineries. Ukrainian officials say facilities such as those operated by Wildberries can be used to purchase military equipment, making them part of efforts to disrupt supplies to Russian forces.

Zelensky said Friday evening, intelligence indicated that Russia was preparing another massive missile attack that could take place “within the next 48 hours”.

The latest exchange of strikes comes as Washington seeks to revive peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Zelensky is expected to travel to the United States next week and meet Trump on Tuesday, according to a White House official.