Russia kills at least nine in missile and drone strikes on Kyiv ahead of NATO summit
Rescuers in Kyiv were still searching damaged apartment blocks on Monday after Russia launched a second major round of missile and drone strikes on the Ukrainian capital and surrounding areas. Authorities said at least nine people were killed, including one in Bucha district northwest of the city, and dozens more were wounded. The attack came on the eve of the NATO summit in Turkey, where Ukraine's president is expected to hold talks with the US president.
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Kyiv's military administration said 46 people were injured, including at least five children, while the city's mayor said air defences were operating as the assault unfolded. Officials reported that ballistic missiles hit several buildings across the capital, causing fires in residential blocks as well as damage to warehouses and a garage workshop. Emergency crews were seen pulling survivors from rubble and combing through wreckage as smoke rose from the affected areas.
The latest strike is the second on Kyiv and its surroundings in less than a week, following an earlier barrage that Ukrainian officials said killed 30 people. That earlier attack prompted tens of thousands of residents to shelter in metro stations as air raid alarms sounded through the night. The repeated strikes underline the continuing vulnerability of the capital region despite air defences and repeated warnings from Ukrainian officials that Moscow was preparing another large-scale assault.
The timing gives the attack wider political significance because it comes just before leaders gather in Turkey for the NATO summit. Ukraine's president is expected to meet the US president on the sidelines of the meeting, and Washington has said the two will discuss the war there. The summit is also likely to focus attention on air defence supplies and other military support for Ukraine, after the president urged allies not to delay deliveries of long-range missiles.
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The attack also fits a broader pattern of intensified long-range strikes in the war more than four years after Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukraine has increasingly targeted energy facilities inside Russia in recent weeks, while Russian officials have reported drone attacks on Moscow and other areas. The exchange of strikes shows how the conflict has widened beyond the front line and continues to affect civilian infrastructure far from the battlefield.
Officials in Kyiv said the assault hit places where people were sleeping, and the damage was concentrated in residential buildings. Photos and video from the city showed charred cars, broken facades and emergency workers moving through debris in the early hours of Monday. The scale of the destruction suggests a coordinated attack rather than a single isolated strike, although the full extent of the damage has not yet been confirmed.
What remains unclear is whether the death toll will rise further as rescuers continue to search the rubble and hospitals treat the wounded. It is also not yet clear how many buildings were damaged across Kyiv and the surrounding region, or whether any military targets were hit. The next developments to watch are the casualty updates from local authorities and the response from the NATO summit, where the attack is likely to shape discussions on air defence and future support for Ukraine.
Russia struck Ukraine's Kyiv region with ballistic missiles on Monday, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens, according to authorities. The attack came on the eve of a NATO summit in Turkey, adding fresh pressure to already strained diplomatic efforts around the war. It was the second strike on Kyiv and its surroundings in less than a week, underscoring the continued intensity of long-range attacks.
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Ukrainian officials said the assault triggered fires and multiple explosions in and around the capital. Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on Telegram that the enemy was striking with ballistic missiles. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defences were operating and urged residents to stay in shelters as the attack unfolded.
The immediate toll was severe, with at least eight people killed and dozens injured, though the full number of casualties could still change. An AFP journalist in Kyiv reported hearing more than 10 explosions during the missile alert early on Monday, followed by flashes in the sky and further blasts about 30 minutes later. The scale of the strike suggests a coordinated attack aimed at the capital region rather than a single isolated impact.
The timing gives the attack wider significance because it came just before leaders were due to gather in Turkey for the NATO summit. US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to discuss the war on the sidelines of the meeting in Ankara, and Trump is also expected to speak with Vladimir Putin afterwards. That sequence points to renewed diplomatic activity even as fighting continues to intensify on the ground.
The strike also fits a broader pattern of escalating long-range attacks in the war more than four years after Russia's full-scale invasion. Kyiv and its surrounding region have remained frequent targets throughout the conflict, but the latest barrage shows that the capital area continues to face direct missile threats despite air defences and repeated warnings to civilians. The fact that this was the second attack on the area in less than a week suggests a sustained operational tempo.
What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage, including whether the death toll will rise and how many people remain in hospital. It is also not yet clear what military targets, if any, were hit in the Kyiv region. Attention will now turn to the summit in Turkey, where the attack is likely to shape discussions on air defence, battlefield support and the prospects for any renewed peace effort.
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