A Russian ballistic missile strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Monday resulted in at least nine deaths and 46 injuries, including five children, according to Kyiv military administrator Timur Tkachenko. The attack occurred on the eve of a NATO summit in Turkey where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump are scheduled to meet.
The Attack in Kyiv
Emergency services in Kyiv are searching for survivors beneath rubble following the missile strikes. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko confirmed that a residential building in the Podil district was hit, with individuals trapped on floors seven through nine. Reports indicate fires broke out in several apartment complexes, and damage was sustained to warehouses and a garage workshop.
Strike Context and Accusations
The strikes on Monday follow a previous attack on Kyiv that killed at least 27 people and injured dozens on Thursday. Hours before the latest attack, President Zelensky stated that intelligence indicated Moscow was preparing a second “massive strike” on the capital.
Ukraine has accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian areas. Russia stated that it was striking military and energy sites in retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory.
In a related development, the city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea lost electricity on Monday after a Ukrainian attack on energy infrastructure, according to Moscow-appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev. Moscow-installed officials also reported that one person was killed and two were injured in a Ukrainian attack on northern Crimea.
Political and Diplomatic Developments
The missile attack occurred just before a scheduled meeting between President Zelensky and President Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey. A senior U.S. official stated that Trump intends to push for an end to the war in Ukraine, noting that the battlefield has been largely static and that neither side is making significant progress.
The same U.S. official indicated that Trump will urge NATO allies to increase their defense spending during the summit. A Kremlin aide confirmed that Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, during which he offered to help find a solution to the conflict. President Zelensky confirmed he spoke with Trump, including about the 1,200 km frontline, and described the conversation as "very good."
"Any delay in supplying long-range missiles for air defense encourages Russia to continue the war."
In response to the attacks, Zelensky appealed to allies for more military aid, stating that any delay in supplying long-range missiles for air defense encourages Russia to continue the war. He also appealed to the U.S. for licenses to manufacture Patriot defense missiles.