At least 14 people have been killed after Russia launched another large-scale missile and drone assault on Kyiv, striking residential buildings for the second time in a week ahead of a crucial NATO summit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed calls for stronger international support, urging NATO members to take decisive steps to reinforce Ukraine’s air defence capabilities following the latest attack.
The strike came only days after another Russian bombardment of the capital claimed more than 30 lives.
European Union officials also stressed the urgent need for additional air defence systems for Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian authorities, one of the missiles carved a massive crater into a multi-storey residential building, splitting its upper floors and causing extensive destruction.
AFP journalists in Kyiv reported hearing more than 10 explosions overnight during a ballistic missile alert, with flashes illuminating the sky as air defence systems attempted to intercept incoming projectiles.
Zelensky disclosed that at least 14 people were killed in Kyiv and nearby areas, while around 60 others sustained injuries.
He said Russia launched a combined assault involving 68 missiles and 351 attack drones.
Authorities in the Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve began evacuating residents after the attack due to concerns that unexploded ordnance remained scattered across the affected areas.
Residents in the capital’s northern Podilsky district said the community had repeatedly come under heavy Russian bombardment in recent days.
“At 1:30 am, a powerful hit occurred. A blast wave, all the windows blew out. And then it hit three more times,” resident Oleksandr Bakhlukov told AFP.
“Glass was falling down. There wasn’t a single pane of glass left in the apartment,” the 68-year-old added.
Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed carrying out what it described as a “massive strike,” claiming the targets were military-industrial facilities as well as fuel and energy infrastructure across several regions of Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials, however, said nearly 30 residential buildings in Kyiv were damaged during the attack, while emergency workers continued rescue operations hours after the bombardment.
Zelensky stated that Ukraine’s air defence units successfully intercepted many of the incoming drones and cruise missiles but lacked sufficient interceptor missiles to stop the ballistic missiles.
“It is critically important that the world – first and foremost the United States and our European partners – come out of the NATO Summit in Ankara with strong decisions in support of our air defense, and thus the protection of ordinary people’s lives,” he said on social media.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed the appeal, saying Ukraine urgently requires additional air defence systems, a matter expected to feature prominently during discussions at the NATO summit.
Meanwhile, Russia’s military claimed it intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also reported that several waves of Ukrainian drones had been directed towards the Russian capital.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy facilities in recent weeks in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s military operations, contributing to fuel shortages in parts of Russia.
The renewed escalation follows mutual threats of retaliation after last week’s Russian strikes on Kyiv, which killed more than 30 civilians, including entire families.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts led by the United States to end the conflict, little progress has been achieved.
The White House confirmed that US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Zelensky on Wednesday during the NATO summit in Ankara as part of renewed efforts to revive peace negotiations.
“The president’s obviously getting together with him to talk about how we can end the war. That’s been a priority of his for a long time,” a senior US official said on condition of anonymity.
The official added that Trump intends to follow up with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the meeting.
However, the Kremlin has continued to insist on territorial and political demands that Ukraine and its Western allies consider unacceptable.
On the battlefield, Russia announced last week that its forces had captured the strategically important eastern town of Kostyantynivka, although Zelensky maintained that Ukrainian troops were still fighting to retain control of the area.
