Twice in one week: Russian missile, drone attack kills 12 in Kyiv days before NATO summit

Russia hammered Kyiv with missiles and dronesearly 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.

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.

Zelensky has repeatedly said Ukraine needs more interceptors for its U.S.-made Patriot missile defense 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," Zelensky said on X/Twitter. "The US and Europe have the power to stop this terror."

"Last night, the Russian regime once again blindly attacked civilians from the air, with over 400 drones and missiles attacking the capital. Ukraine urgently needs more air defense. We will discuss it this week in Ankara at the NATO Summit," wrote von der Leyen on X.

"We will keep increasing the pressure until Russia ends the bloodshed," she added.

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 Kyivon Thursday - the deadliest strike on the city this year.

Close to 30 residential buildings were significantly damaged in the attack, including a nine-story 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 epicenter of the strikes, the General Prosecutor's office said. Damage was also recorded in two other city districts.

In Podilskyi, rescue crews sifted through rubble as smoke rose from an apartment block with a gaping hole in its top floors.

Emergency workers used ladder trucks to reach upper floors while firefighters battled lingering flames. A 22-year-old Alyona was waiting to hear news about her 19-year-old friend Vika, who was missing after the attack.

Russia's defense ministry said on Monday its forces had conducted a "massive" attack on Kyiv and other locations with long-range, high-precision air-, land-, and sea-launched weapons and drones.

The ministry also said military and energy facilities were hit in Kyiv and its surrounding region, as well as military airfields in several other Ukrainian regions.

Five people were killed, and 26 injured in the region surrounding Kyiv, and the southern Black Sea port of Odesa also came under attack, with at least one person injured, local officials said.