Russia kills dozens in Kyiv ahead of NATO summit in Ankara

Russia hit Kyiv with missiles and drones on Monday, killing at least 22 people and wounding dozens in a strike that hit residential buildings and sent rescuers into multi-storey apartment blocks where people were trapped. The attack landed just before NATO leaders were due to gather in Ankara, turning another night of destruction into a message aimed well beyond Ukraine’s capital.

The summit in Türkiye is scheduled for July 7-8, 2026, and NATO says leaders from all 32 member countries are expected to attend. The agenda is set to center on Ukraine, defense investment, and sustaining allied military assistance, with the war dominating the political mood as Russia escalates its long-range campaign against civilian areas.

The Kyiv assault was the second large-scale strike on the city in less than a week. On July 2, a previous Russian attack killed at least 31 people and was described as the deadliest assault on the capital this year. Officials in Kyiv said the latest wave exposed widening gaps in Ukraine’s air defenses, including a shortage of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors, which remain critical for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed that point directly, saying the world, especially the United States and European partners, should leave the NATO summit with strong decisions to support Ukraine’s air defenses and protect civilians. Donald Trump is expected to attend the gathering and meet Zelenskyy on the sidelines, putting the debate over burden-sharing and military aid at the center of the summit’s diplomacy. Russia’s latest strike has sharpened the question facing allies: whether Ukraine can realistically expect the kind of air defense support it needs to blunt an escalation that keeps reaching deeper into residential neighborhoods in Kyiv.