Russian strikes kill 12 in Kyiv

KYIV – Russia hammered Kyiv with missiles and drones early on Monday, killing at least 12 people, officials said, as shortages of U.S.-made interceptors left the Ukrainian capital ‌struggling to defend itself, just days after the deadliest attack this year.
The heavy overnight bombardment came ahead of a NATO summit in Turkey this week, where U.S. President Donald Trump is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to make a renewed push to end the war, now in its fifth year.
Ukraine’s air force data showed it was unable to down any of the 23 ballistic missiles fired by Russia, highlighting the critical shortage of U.S.-made interceptors. Moscow has escalated its air war this year ​as its progress on the battlefield has slowed.
Ukraine intercepted 37 other missiles and more than 90% of the 351 drones used during the attack, the air force said.
Zelenskiy has ​repeatedly said Ukraine needs more interceptors for its U.S.-made Patriot missile defence system – the only weapon in its arsenal that can effectively down ballistic ⁠projectiles, whose high velocity and steep flight path make them difficult to stop.
The Ukrainian leader called for “strong decisions” at the NATO summit, which starts on Tuesday in Ankara, ​to ensure Ukraine can defend itself.
“As long as Patriot missiles sit in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep destroying residential buildings,” Zelenskiy said on X. “The U.S. and Europe have the ​power to stop this terror.”
As rescue operations continued into the morning, emergency crews were looking for residents in buildings shattered by the overnight barrage.
Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the death toll in the capital had risen to 12 and more than 50 people were wounded across the city. In one of the districts, bodies of an entire family — two parents and their child — were pulled from the rubble, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
The attack came days after 31 people were killed in ​a Russian attack on Kyiv on Thursday – the deadliest strike on the city this year.
Close to 30 residential buildings were significantly damaged in the attack, including a nine-storey block in the historic Podilskyi district which had been ​largely destroyed from the fifth level up, officials said.
Podilskyi, along with the eastern Darnytskyi district, were at the epicentre of the strikes, the General Prosecutor’s office said. Damage was also recorded in two other city districts.