Russian strikes on Kyiv kill 20

Russia hammered Kyiv with missiles and drones early yesterday, killing at least 20 people, officials said, as shortages of US-made interceptors left the Ukrainian capital struggling to defend itself, just days after the deadliest attack this year.

Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 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.

Close to 30 residential buildings were significantly damaged in the attack, including a nine-storey block in the historic Podilskyi district which had been largely destroyed from the fifth level up, officials said.

The heavy overnight bombardment came ahead of a Nato summit in Turkey this week, where US President Donald Trump is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to make a renewed push to end the war, now in its fifth year.

The Kremlin said yesterday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump had agreed in a weekend call that they would talk again “in the near future,” suggesting they are likely to talk this week during or after the Nato summit.

Meanwhile, Ukraine struck three Russian oil refineries and an oil terminal in the Baltic Sea port of Vysotsk, Ukraine’s military and security service said yesterday, as Kyiv intensifies its attack on Russian energy infrastructure.

Explosions were recorded near the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl region, and smoke was seen rising from the premises, the Ukrainian military’s General Staff said on Telegram.

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 US-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 percent of the 351 drones used during the attack, the air force said.

Zelensky has repeatedly said Ukraine needs more interceptors for its US-made Patriot missile defence 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.

He called for “strong decisions” at the Nato summit, which starts today in Ankara, to ensure Ukraine can defend itself. Ukraine’s neighbour Poland, a Nato and EU member, briefly scrambled fighter jets as a preventive measure.

“As long as Patriot missiles sit in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep destroying residential buildings,” Zelensky said on X. “The US and Europe have the power to stop this terror.”

As rescue operations continued into the morning, emergency crews were looking for residents in buildings shattered by the overnight barrage.

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

Reuters television footage showed what appeared to be human remains trapped beneath concrete debris on an upper floor of a building.

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.

“We’re sitting here and waiting until they retrieve them … She’s so kind, only 19 years old. She’s such a kind girl,” Alyona told Reuters, holding back tears, as she watched the rescue operation from a nearby playground.