Russia Strikes Kyiv as Ukraine Faces Patriot Missile Shortage Before NATO Summit

Russia launched a massive overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Monday, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 50, as Ukraine struggled to intercept ballistic missiles due to a critical shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors.

According to Ukraine's air force, Russia fired 23 ballistic missiles and 351 drones during the assault. While Ukrainian forces intercepted 37 other missiles and more than 90% of the drones, none of the ballistic missiles were destroyed, highlighting the growing pressure on the country's air defenses.

The attack came just days after the deadliest strike on Kyiv this year and ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss efforts to end the war, now in its fifth year.

Zelenskiy urged NATO allies to provide additional Patriot missile interceptors, calling for "strong decisions" at the summit. He said the U.S. and Europe have the resources to strengthen Ukraine's defenses and argued that unused Patriot stockpiles encourage Russia to continue attacking civilian areas.

Rescue operations continued throughout Monday as emergency crews searched damaged apartment buildings in Kyiv. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said nearly 30 residential buildings suffered significant damage, including a nine-story apartment block in the historic Podilskyi district. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said rescuers recovered the bodies of an entire family from the rubble.

Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed carrying out what it described as a "massive" strike using long-range precision weapons and drones, claiming it targeted military and energy facilities in Kyiv and other regions, along with several military airfields.

The attacks also killed five people in the Kyiv region, while the southern port city of Odesa reported injuries following separate strikes.

Despite the latest bombardment, Ukraine said it has slowed Russian advances along the 1,200-kilometer front line and continues launching long-range drone attacks inside Russia. Ukrainian officials also rejected Moscow's claim that Russian forces captured the strategic eastern city of Kostiantynivka. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes reportedly damaged Russia's Baltic Sea ports of Vysotsk and Ust-Luga and caused a power outage in Sevastopol, prompting neighboring Poland to briefly scramble fighter jets as a precaution.