Russian Missiles Strike Kyiv as Ukraine Launches Major Drone Offensive on Eve of NATO Summit
Russia launched waves of missiles at Kyiv early Monday, killing at least 12 people, while Ukrainian forces struck back with 625 long-range drones in a major escalation timed with the NATO summit. Russia claims it shot down 613 of the drones.
Russian Missile Attack
Russia launched waves of missiles and drones at Kyiv early Monday, killing at least 12 people in an attack that exposed widening gaps in Ukraine's air defenses, authorities said. The attack targeted key military and infrastructure sites within the Ukrainian capital as tensions escalate ahead of the NATO summit.
Ukrainian Counteroffensive
On the night of July 6, Russian air defense systems thwarted a large-scale attack by Ukrainian kamikaze drones: 613 out of 625 UAVs were shot down, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.Zelensky planned it for the NATO summit. Ukrainian forces launched the drone assault targeting Russian military-industrial and energy infrastructure.
Strategic Timing
President Trump offered to help find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine war during a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said yesterday. Ushakov said Trump made the offer on Saturday in the context of his participation next week at the NATO summit in Turkey.
NATO Summit Implications
Kyiv has "dramatically taken the war to Russian territory in 2026 by orchestrating a series of short-, medium-, and long-range strikes to disrupt and destroy Russian logistics and supplies," according to a Center for Strategic and International Studies report shared last week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that Russia has since relocated the bulk of its air defenses to cover key areas, such as central Moscow and a presidential residence. The coordinated strikes appear designed to demonstrate Ukrainian capability ahead of Trump's NATO negotiations.