Russian Missile Strike Kills Eight Near Kyiv Ahead of NATO Summit
Mon, Jul 6, 2026 10:55 AM on Latest, International,
Russia launched a fresh ballistic missile attack on Ukraine's Kyiv region early Monday, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 30, according to Ukrainian authorities. The assault came just one day before a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where diplomatic efforts to end the war are expected to take center stage.
The overnight strike marked the second major attack on Kyiv and its surrounding areas in less than a week, highlighting the intensifying long-range warfare more than four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Residents reported hearing multiple explosions during the early morning hours as air raid sirens sounded across the capital. Ukrainian officials said Russian forces fired ballistic missiles, prompting air defense systems to intercept incoming threats.
According to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv regional military administration, the attack triggered four fires in residential buildings, where many people were asleep. Seven people were killed in Kyiv, while another fatality was reported in the Bucha district northwest of the capital. At least 34 others sustained injuries.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that air defense units were actively responding to the attack and urged residents to remain in shelters until the danger had passed.
The latest strike follows weeks of intensified cross-border attacks by both Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure and military facilities, while Russia has continued missile and drone attacks across Ukrainian cities.
In Russian-annexed Crimea, local authorities reported temporary power outages in Sevastopol after what they described as a Ukrainian strike on nearby energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Moscow officials said several Ukrainian drones heading toward the Russian capital were intercepted and destroyed by Russian air defenses.
The renewed violence comes ahead of a key NATO summit in Ankara beginning Tuesday. US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the conflict before holding separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A senior White House official said Trump's discussions would focus on reviving stalled peace negotiations, which have shown little progress in recent months.
On the battlefield, fighting remains fierce around the strategically important eastern town of Kostyantynivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region. While Russia recently claimed to have captured the town, Ukraine has rejected the assertion, insisting that its forces continue to defend the area.
President Zelensky also warned that Russia could launch additional large-scale attacks during the NATO summit, underscoring growing concerns over a further escalation of the conflict despite renewed diplomatic engagement.
