Russia hits Kyiv with ballistic missiles hours before NATO summit opens in Ankara

A second major Russian strike in less than a week landed on residential neighborhoods of the capital, with most of the dead and wounded reported in the Darnytsia and Podilskyi districts. Local officials said another 60 people were wounded in the attack. Authorities said residential high-rise buildings in two locations in Kyiv suffered direct hits, and Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's City Military Administration, posted on Telegram: "These are residential buildings. Places where people slept and lived their ordinary lives."

An Agence France-Presse journalist in Kyiv heard more than 10 explosions during a ballistic missile alert early Monday. Approximately 30 minutes after the initial explosions, several flashes in the sky were seen as another series of blasts rang out. Tkachenko said on Telegram: "The enemy is striking with ballistic missiles," and a residential building in the Podilskyi district of Kyiv partially collapsed.

A second major barrage in under a week

Russia's strikes on Sunday night killed at least 11 people in Kyiv, a figure that local authorities warned could rise as debris was cleared. Earlier in July, a separate Russian strike killed 31 people in Kyiv on Thursday, described as the deadliest for the capital this year. The United Nations said more than 16,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the war overall.

Russia's Defense Ministry said the Monday bombardment was retaliation for Ukraine's recent long-range strikes, which it said caused severe fuel shortages and pressured President Vladimir Putin. The ministry said the attack targeted weapons factories in Kyiv, including sites producing drones, sea drones, armored vehicles and missiles, as well as facilities repairing air defense systems and fuel and energy infrastructure. The article notes the Russian Defense Ministry's claims about its targets could not be independently verified.

Russia's stated targets and unverifiable claims

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at the country overnight, targeting mainly Kyiv. Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on national television: "To intercept ballistics, we need the means for interception." According to Ukraine's Air Force, 29 ballistic missiles that were launched struck their targets.

Ihnat also said on national television: "Russians are certainly using the fact that there is a serious deficit of interceptor missiles now, in Ukraine and the world." The war in the Middle East has strained the global supply of Patriot interceptors, and Zelenskyy blamed the shortfall in ballistic-missile defense on insufficient interceptor supplies.

Interceptor shortage at the heart of Ukraine's defense

Zelenskyy said in a statement: "As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies' stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep 'vanquishing' residential buildings," and added: "The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror." Zelenskyy specifically requested additional Patriot missile systems and warned late Sunday that intelligence suggested Russia was preparing another massive strike on Ukraine. The assault came hours before the NATO summit in Ankara, which begins on Tuesday.

Zelenskyy's appeal ahead of Ankara summit

The war has been ongoing more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Both sides increased long-range attacks, underlining the growing reach of the war. Russia's Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 519 Ukrainian drones overnight, and Mikhail Yavrayev, governor of Yaroslavl, said over 70 Ukrainian drones were downed as they attacked Yaroslavl, where two people were wounded. The Astra online news outlet said a Ukrainian attack on Yaroslavl targeted an oil refinery in the city, causing a fire.

Long-range strikes intensify on both sides

An energy provider in Russia-occupied Crimea reported a blackout across the peninsula due to external impact. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-appointed head of Sevastopol, said Ukrainian attacks cut power supplies to the city early Monday and that power was later restored using backup equipment. Analysts and Western officials said Ukraine's advances in drone technology have given it an edge in recent months.

US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy are expected to discuss the war on the sidelines of the summit, and Washington seeks to revive stalled peace efforts. After the summit, Trump plans to speak with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The assault was the second on Kyiv and its surroundings in less than a week and the attack occurred on the eve of a NATO summit in Turkey. Ukrainian rescue workers continued to pull survivors from damaged buildings overnight as the city counted its dead.