Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, early Monday morning, according to CNN. The assault came just one day before a major NATO summit in Turkey that US President Donald Trump is expected to attend.
Ukraine’s air force reported that the attack involved ballistic missiles, drones, and cruise missiles. Explosions were heard across central Kyiv in the early hours as the strikes took place.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said at least two districts in the capital reported fires or damage from falling debris. Air raid sirens were activated across Kyiv shortly before the explosions were heard.
The latest attack followed a warning from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday that intelligence suggested Russia was “preparing a new massive strike.”
“Intelligence once again indicates that the Russians are preparing a new massive strike. This is typical of Putin: right after America’s Independence Day and before the NATO Summit in Ankara. Russia wants to bring more evil and kill people,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
The strike also comes after a major Russian attack on Kyiv last Thursday that killed at least 30 people, making it the third-deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since the start of the war, according to CNN.
Russia’s war in Ukraine is expected to be a central topic at the NATO summit, which begins on Tuesday in Ankara. Russian forces have stepped up their efforts to seize additional territory in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, a major objective for the Kremlin. At the same time, Ukraine has intensified missile and drone attacks on critical infrastructure inside Russia, including oil refineries, ports, and military factories, according to CNN.
According to CNN, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a nearly 90-minute phone call on July 4. During the conversation, Trump once again offered to help end the war in Ukraine, Russia’s foreign ministry said.
