Ukraine War07 July, 20263 min read
Russian Missiles And Drones Strike Kyiv, Killing 21 Ahead Of NATO Summit In Turkey
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
At least 22 people killed in Kyiv and surrounding region. Attack occurred ahead of NATO summit in Turkey.
Kyiv hit before NATO
A wave of Russian missiles and drones struck across Ukraine early Monday, killing 21 people and heavily damaging apartment blocks on the eve of a NATO summit in Turkey, according to the city’s administrative head Tymur Tkachenko. The Guardian reported that fifteen people were killed in Kyiv, Russia’s main target, and that 56 others were injured in the attacks early on Monday, while another six people were killed in the wider Kyiv region and 21 were injured, according to Mykola Kalashnyk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had achieved “success” countering the Russian drones and cruise missiles involved in the attack, but had not been able to shoot down the ballistic missiles because of the shortage of Patriot interceptors.
The attack began shortly after 1am and lasted for hours, striking at least 15 multistorey residential buildings, and in the historic Podilskyi district a nine-storey block was largely destroyed from the fifth floor up, leaving survivors trapped. At the same time, the Russian defence ministry confirmed it used long-range weapons and drones to carry out a “massive” attack on Kyiv and other locations, and said it hit military and energy facilities in Kyiv and the surrounding area.
Zelenskyy presses for Patriots
Zelenskyy urged the US and European allies to leave the NATO summit in Ankara with “strong decisions” on strengthening Ukraine’s air defences, warning that “As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep ‘vanquishing’ residential buildings.” In a separate account, NPR said all of the ballistic missiles launched by Russia struck their targets, underscoring Kyiv’s need for more U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles that Zelenskyy would likely reiterate at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. NPR also quoted Ukraine’s air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat saying, “To intercept ballistics, we need the means for interception,” as he pointed to a “serious deficit of interceptor missiles now, in Ukraine and the world.”
The BBC similarly framed the gap as an interceptor shortage, saying the Ukrainian Air Force said a “serious shortage” of interceptor missiles meant none of the 23 ballistic missiles fired by Russia at Kyiv on Sunday night were shot down. In the same BBC report, Zelenskyy warned that Moscow would continue to hit residential buildings as long as defensive Patriot missiles “remain in our allies' stockpiles,” while Kyiv officials described widespread destruction visible on Monday morning.
Casualties, damage, next steps
Across reporting, the death toll and injury counts varied, with The Guardian saying 21 people were killed in the wider Kyiv region and 21 were injured there, while NPR said another seven people were killed in the wider Kyiv region and 29 were injured. ABC News said Zelenskyy reported 22 people killed and 90 injured, and it described damage in more than 10 locations across the capital, including residential buildings, as Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and city officials said rescue teams were searching for additional victims under rubble. The BBC reported that helicopters shuttled back and forth to carry water from the river to douse fires, and it said Ukraine’s State Emergency Service recorded 56 people injured in the capital, including seven children.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the bombardment was retaliation for Ukraine’s recent long-range strikes, and it claimed it targeted weapons factories in Kyiv, including sites it said produce drones, armored vehicles and missiles, as well as facilities repairing air defense systems and fuel and energy infrastructure. With the NATO summit underway in Turkey and Trump set to attend, ABC News reported Trump said he was “getting much closer than people realize” to ending the war, while Zelenskyy continued to press for air defense decisions in Ankara.