Russia Launches Massive Drone and Missile Attack on Kyiv Ahead of NATO Summit

In the early hours between Sunday and Monday, Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone assault targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian authorities reported at least 14 fatalities and 117 injuries as a result of the attack, which involved 351 drones and 68 missiles, including 23 ballistic and six hypersonic missiles. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted most drones and missiles but failed to stop the ballistic and hypersonic ones, which caused significant damage to residential buildings, particularly in Kyiv's historic Podilskyi district and other neighborhoods.

The assault also affected the port city of Odesa, causing injuries and power outages across several regions including Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Dnipro. Poland, a NATO and EU member, scrambled fighter jets as a precaution. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the "massive attack" aimed at Ukraine's military-industrial facilities, fuel and energy infrastructure near Kyiv, and military airfields, claiming it was a response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory.

Simultaneously, Ukrainian forces continued attacks deep into Russian territory, damaging Baltic Sea ports and causing power outages in Crimea, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. This latest offensive follows a deadly strike on Kyiv less than a week ago that killed 31 people and damaged around 130 buildings.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia is intensifying pressure ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, where he is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelensky called for increased delivery of Patriot missile interceptors, citing shortages that allowed Russian ballistic missiles to hit their targets. The summit is expected to approve a new aid package to Ukraine worth tens of billions of euros for 2026 and 2027 and designate Russia as a long-term security threat to the Euro-Atlantic region.

The attack coincides with intense diplomatic activity, including a nearly 90-minute call on July 4 between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussing a potential political resolution to the conflict. Trump also recently spoke with Zelensky, who expressed cautious optimism about ending the war. Despite tensions within NATO over defense spending and military presence in Europe, alliance leaders are expected to reaffirm their commitment to collective defense under Article 5 of the NATO treaty.