Russia launched a deadly combined aerial assault against Ukraine’s capital early Monday morning, targeting the city with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones on the eve of a critical NATO summit. The heavy missile attack caused massive explosions across the city center, killing at least ten people and leaving dozens more wounded. According to city officials, the bombardment struck several multi-story residential buildings, trapping residents inside and sparking fires across multiple districts, including Darnytskyi and Podilskyi.
The lethal bombardment occurred just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that intelligence indicated Moscow was preparing a massive strike to coincide with the conclusion of the U.S. Independence Day weekend and the upcoming security summit in Ankara, Turkey. Emergency response teams mobilized quickly to evacuate civilians, including children, from the burning structures.
This latest missile attack follows a previous aerial assault last Thursday that claimed 30 lives, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the capital since the start of the conflict. The escalation also transpires immediately after a 90-minute telephone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which diplomatic solutions to the war were discussed.
