Russia launched a large-scale overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv and surrounding areas on Monday, killing at least 18 people and injuring about 60, just a day before the NATO summit in Ankara.
The bombardment damaged dozens of residential buildings, including a multi-storey apartment block where a missile tore through the upper floors, while officials in the nearby suburb of Vyshneve evacuated residents over fears of unexploded ordnance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia fired 68 missiles and 351 attack drones, adding that although Ukrainian forces intercepted many drones and cruise missiles, they lacked enough interceptor missiles to stop the ballistic weapons.
He urged NATO allies to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence, saying, “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.”
Residents described the terrifying attack, with 68-year-old Oleksandr Bakhlukov recalling a “powerful hit” around 1:30 a.m. that shattered every window in his apartment before three more explosions followed, adding, “Glass was falling down. There wasn’t a single pane of glass left in the apartment.”
Another survivor, 36-year-old Anna Misko, said she and her child “survived by sheer miracle” after taking shelter on the ground floor shortly before a missile struck the upper levels of their building, adding, “We weren’t expecting this… there was an attack literally five days ago.”
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the strike targeted military-industrial facilities as well as fuel and energy infrastructure across several Ukrainian regions, while Kyiv reported that about 30 residential buildings were hit.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the latest attack highlighted Ukraine’s urgent need for additional air defence systems, a key issue expected to feature prominently at the NATO summit.
Meanwhile, Russia claimed it intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones overnight as Kyiv continues targeting energy infrastructure inside Russia to disrupt Moscow’s war effort.
Zelensky is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the summit as Washington seeks to revive stalled diplomatic efforts to end the more than four-year conflict.
