Deadly attack by Russia claims 14 lives in Kyiv on eve of key NATO gathering

Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones into Kyiv's apartment buildings for the second time in a week, resulting in at least 14 fatalities on the eve of a pivotal NATO summit, according to authorities.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky called upon the alliance to make "strong decisions" to bolster Ukraine's air defenses in the aftermath of the attack, which occurred just days after a previous Russian assault claimed over 30 lives in Kyiv.

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The European Union also emphasized the need for Ukraine to receive air defense reinforcements, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

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The morning strike created a massive crater in a multi-storey apartment block in the Ukrainian capital, tearing the top floors in two, with AFP reporters witnessing over 10 explosions during a ballistic missile alert the previous night.

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Flashes illuminated the sky as the blasts rang out, marking the second attack in a week where Russia utilized hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles, prompting Zelensky's desperate appeal for allies to provide advanced missiles for the US-made Patriot air defense systems.

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Zelensky is scheduled to discuss the war with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, which commences on Tuesday.

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"It is critically important that the world –- first and foremost the United States and our European partners –- come out of the NATO Summit in Ankara with strong decisions in support of our air defense, and thus the protection of ordinary people's lives," Zelensky stated on social media.

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At least 14 people lost their lives in Kyiv and the surrounding region, with approximately 60 more injured, according to Zelensky, who also reported that Russia fired 68 missiles and 351 attack drones.

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Officials in the Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve initiated evacuations due to the possibility of unexploded munitions in the debris, while locals in the northern Podilsky district of the capital reported that their area had been heavily targeted in recent Russian strikes.

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Oleksandr Bakhlukov, a 68-year-old resident, described the attack, saying, "At 1:30 am, a powerful hit occurred, a blast wave, all the windows blew out, and then it hit three more times," with "glass falling down" and "not a single pane of glass left in the apartment."

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Russia's defense ministry claimed to have carried out a "massive strike" using missiles and drones against what it described as "military-industrial enterprises" and fuel and energy complex facilities in several Ukrainian regions.

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Around 30 residential buildings in Kyiv were hit, with rescuers still sifting through the rubble hours after the attack, according to officials, who also reported that Zelensky stated Ukraine's army had shot down the Russian drones and cruise missiles but lacked sufficient interceptor missiles to stop the ballistic missiles.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that the attack demonstrated Ukraine's urgent need for more air defense, which would be discussed at the NATO meeting.

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Russia's army claimed to have shot down over 500 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated on state-backed Max that several waves of drones were bound for the Russian capital.

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Kyiv has increasingly targeted energy facilities inside Russia in recent weeks in an effort to weaken the Kremlin's war effort, resulting in fuel shortages across the country.

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Both sides had vowed fresh attacks after Russia struck apartment buildings in Kyiv last week, killing over 30 people, including entire families, with US-led attempts to broker an end to the more than four-year war yielding no results.

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The White House announced that Trump would meet Zelensky on Wednesday during the NATO summit in an effort to revitalize diplomacy, with a senior US official stating, "The president's obviously getting together with him to talk about how we can end the war, that's been a priority of his for a long time."

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The official added that Trump would then "follow up" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has refused to back down on hardline territorial and political demands that Ukraine and its allies say amount to capitulation.

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Moscow's army reported last week that it had captured the strategic eastern town of Kostyantynivka, although Zelensky claimed that Ukrainian forces were still fighting for the stronghold.