Heavy attack on Kyiv before NATO summit, nine dead and dozens injured

At least nine people were killed and dozens more injured as a result of a large wave of Russian ballistic missile and drone attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Monday. The strike came shortly before the NATO summit, which is also expected to be attended by US President Donald Trump.

According to local authorities, several residential buildings were hit directly, leaving residents trapped inside their apartments, while a large number of vehicles caught fire. Rescue teams pulled residents, including children, from the upper floors of a damaged building in the Podilskyi district.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air raid alerts sounded across the capital, forcing thousands of people to take shelter. Major damage was also reported in the Darnytskyi area, where residential buildings suffered severe damage and the evacuation of residents is under way.

Several hours before the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned that Russia was preparing another massive strike. He said the timing of the attack was linked to the diplomatic developments of the coming days, stressing that it is typical of Russian President Vladimir Putin to intensify attacks ahead of major international events.

This attack comes just a few days after Kyiv was hit by another Russian bombardment, which according to Ukrainian authorities caused 30 deaths and is considered one of the deadliest attacks since the start of the war.

At the same time, the war in Ukraine is expected to be among the main issues at the NATO summit. According to the text, Donald Trump held a roughly 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and another with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an effort to encourage a resolution to the conflict.