Russia launched a fresh missile and drone assault on Kyiv early Monday, hours before a NATO summit in Ankara where the Ukraine war is expected to top the agenda.
Representative image: A damaged residential building | Reuters via ANI
Russia launched a fresh missile and drone assault on Kyiv early Monday, triggering explosions across the Ukrainian capital just a day before a NATO summit in Ankara where the war in Ukraine is expected to dominate discussions.
Ukraine’s air force said the overnight attack involved ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. The strike came after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that intelligence suggested Moscow was preparing another large-scale offensive.
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Explosions echoed through central Kyiv in the early hours as air raid sirens sounded across the city.
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Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said falling debris caused fires or damage in at least two districts of the capital. Authorities did not immediately provide details on casualties.
On Sunday, Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence had detected signs of another major Russian attack.
“Intelligence once again indicates that the Russians are preparing a new massive strike. This is typical of Putin: right after America’s Independence Day and before the NATO Summit in Ankara. Russia wants to bring more evil and kill people,” Zelensky wrote on X.
The latest bombardment follows a large Russian strike on Kyiv last Thursday that killed at least 30 people. According to CNN, it was the third-deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital since the war began.
The conflict is expected to be a key focus at the NATO summit, which opens in Ankara on Tuesday.
According to CNN, Russian forces have stepped up operations in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region as Moscow presses to seize more territory. Ukraine, meanwhile, has intensified missile and drone attacks targeting Russian infrastructure, including oil refineries, ports and military manufacturing facilities.
The latest escalation also comes days after Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone on July 4. Russia’s foreign ministry said the conversation lasted nearly 90 minutes, during which Trump again offered to help end the war.
(With inputs from ANI)
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