Russian missiles kill 20 in Kyiv as Ukraine faces critical interception shortage ahead of NATO summit

Russia launched a devastating missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Monday, killing at least 20 people and exposing Ukraine's critical shortage of US-made interceptors just days after the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year.

Russia launched a devastating missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Monday, killing at least 20 people and exposing Ukraine’s critical shortage of US-made interceptors just days after the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year. Rescuers were digging bodies from the rubble of a Kyiv high-rise ripped open in the overnight bombardment, as the attack came on the eve of a NATO summit where US President Donald Trump is due to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a renewed push for peace.

Ukraine’s military was unable to down any of the 23 ballistic missiles fired by Russia, according to air force data, reflecting its increasing vulnerability to Moscow’s strikes as stocks of its prized Patriot missiles run out. Zelenskiy has repeatedly pleaded for more interceptors the only weapon in its arsenal that can shoot down ballistic projectiles, whose high velocity and speed make them difficult to stop. He called for “strong decisions” at the NATO summit in Turkiye, which begins on Tuesday, to ensure Ukraine can defend itself. Ukrainian air force data shows air defences shot down just four of 49 ballistic missiles in July. “As long as Patriot missiles sit in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep destroying residential buildings,” Zelenskiy said on X. “The US and Europe have the power to stop this terror.”

At least 14 people were killed in Kyiv and six others in the surrounding region, with nearly 30 buildings across the city damaged. A search operation dragged into Monday afternoon as crews combed mountains of rubble in the multi-storey building whose top floors had been torn open. The bodies of an entire family two parents and their child were pulled from the rubble, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had conducted a “massive” attack with long-range, high-precision weapons, targeting military and energy facilities.

Moscow has escalated its air war this year as its battlefield progress has slowed, hampered by Ukrainian long-range attacks on its military logistics and oil industry. On Monday, Kyiv’s military said it had struck three Russian oil refineries, including the country’s largest in Omsk, as well as two “shadow fleet” vessels in the Sea of Azov. As the NATO summit begins, the urgent need for more interceptors and a unified response to Russia’s aggression remains at the forefront of discussions.