Russia launched long-range missile attacks on Kyiv and its surrounding areas, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens more, just one day before the NATO summit in Turkey. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump prepared to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and planned discussions aimed at advancing efforts to end the war.
Russia launched a ballistic missile strike on the Kyiv region of Ukraine early Monday morning (6 Jul), killing at least eight people and injuring at least 34, according to Ukrainian officials. This marks the second attack on Kyiv and nearby areas in less than a week.
The attack occurred ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit scheduled to begin Tuesday in Ankara, Turkey, amid escalating conflict marked by long-range strikes from both sides, despite the war having lasted over four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
AFP reporters in Kyiv said they heard more than ten explosions during missile warning alerts, followed by additional blasts and flashes of light in the sky shortly afterward.
Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv regional military administration, stated via the Telegram app that Russia used ballistic missiles in the attack. He added the strikes caused fires in four residential buildings where people were sleeping.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city's air defense system intercepted the attack and urged residents to remain in bomb shelters until the situation is safe.
Ukrainian authorities reported seven deaths in Kyiv and one in Bucha district northwest of the capital. The number of injured in Kyiv and nearby areas rose to at least 34.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued to target energy infrastructure inside Russia over recent weeks to undermine Moscow's war capabilities, including strikes on Russian-controlled areas within Ukraine held since before the large-scale invasion.
In the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, Mikhail Razvozhayev, governor of Sevastopol, said Ukrainian attacks near energy infrastructure caused temporary power outages in the city.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russia's air defense successfully shot down multiple drones heading toward the capital in several waves.
The White House revealed that President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday during the NATO summit, aiming to discuss ways to end the war—a key policy priority for Trump.
A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said after meeting Zelensky, Trump would talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to revive the stalled peace negotiations. However, diplomatic efforts have yet to reduce the conflict's intensity.
Earlier, Zelensky disclosed that Ukrainian forces continue fierce fighting to defend the strategic city of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk region. Despite Russia's claim on Friday of having captured the city, Ukraine's government called it a "lie."
The Ukrainian leader also accused Russia of preparing further major attacks ahead of the NATO summit and stressed that President Putin would never enter Kostyantynivka as claimed.
On Saturday, both Putin and Zelensky separately spoke by phone with President Trump on the occasion of the United States' 250th Independence Day anniversary, raising hopes that this week's high-level meetings and negotiations might help revive the long-stalled peace process.