Russia Launches Massive Missile Strike on Kyiv Ahead of NATO Summit and Trump-Zelensky Meeting

In the early hours between Sunday and Monday, Russia launched a second large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv within a week, killing at least 14 people and injuring 117. The assault caused significant damage to residential buildings across the Ukrainian capital, including the historic Podilskyi district and the eastern Darnytskyi district. Russian forces fired 351 drones and 68 missiles, including 23 ballistic and six hypersonic missiles, which Ukrainian defenses failed to intercept. Ukrainian air forces claimed to have neutralized most drones and some missiles but could not stop the ballistic and hypersonic weapons. The attack also affected other regions, including the port city of Odesa, where at least one person was wounded, and caused widespread power outages in Kyiv and other cities.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the "massive attack," targeting military-industrial facilities, fuel and energy infrastructure around Kyiv, and military airports elsewhere in Ukraine. Moscow framed the strike as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory, including drone strikes damaging Baltic Sea ports and causing power outages in Crimea’s Sevastopol.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned hours before the attack that Russia was preparing a large-scale offensive, linking its timing to the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara and recent diplomatic activity. He urged the U.S. and Europe to supply more Patriot missile interceptors, citing shortages as the reason Ukrainian forces could not shoot down the ballistic missiles. Zelensky called on NATO leaders to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses during the summit.

The strike came just days after U.S. President Donald Trump held a nearly 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 4, discussing potential diplomatic solutions to the war. Trump also spoke with Zelensky over the weekend, describing their conversation as "very good" and expressing hope for a real chance to end the conflict. Trump is scheduled to meet both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Zelensky at the NATO summit, where he plans to discuss ways to end the war and may resume talks with Putin.

The NATO summit is expected to approve a military aid package of 70 billion euros for Ukraine in 2026, with similar support planned for 2027. The alliance will also officially designate Russia as a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security. However, the summit opens amid tensions between the U.S. and European allies over defense spending, troop deployments, and strategic priorities. Despite disagreements, NATO leaders are expected to reaffirm their commitment to collective defense under Article 5 and announce multi-billion-dollar security agreements.