Russian Strikes Kill 28 Near Kyiv as Air Defences Falter

At least 28 people were killed after Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region early Monday, highlighting Ukraine's growing shortage of air defence systems as the war intensifies.

Emergency crews continued searching through the rubble of a heavily damaged residential building in Kyiv, where several people remained trapped after the overnight bombardment. The attack came just a day before a NATO summit, where US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss efforts to end the war.

According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia fired 23 ballistic missiles during the assault, none of which were intercepted. Air defences did, however, destroy 37 other missiles and more than 90 percent of the 351 drones launched in the attack.

Ukrainian officials said the inability to stop the ballistic missiles reflects the country's dwindling stock of US-made Patriot interceptor missiles, which remain the only reliable defence against such high-speed weapons.

In his nightly address, President Zelenskyy called for increased production of air defence systems and urged Ukraine's allies to strengthen military support.

"It is unacceptable that production has not been expanded to the level needed to protect people from ballistic attacks," he said, adding that Ukraine could manufacture Patriot systems if granted the necessary US licences.

He also urged NATO members to take "strong decisions" at the upcoming summit, warning that unused Patriot missiles held by allies only encourage further Russian attacks on civilian areas.

Rescue operations continued throughout the day in Kyiv, where authorities said at least 18 people were killed. Another 10 deaths were reported in the wider Kyiv region.

Officials said nearly 30 residential and commercial buildings sustained heavy damage, including a high-rise apartment block where rescue workers recovered the bodies of an entire family.

Elsewhere, two people were killed in a drone strike on a filling station in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, while two more civilians died in separate drone attacks in the northeastern Sumy region near the Russian border.

Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had carried out a large-scale strike using long-range missiles and drones targeting military facilities, airfields and energy infrastructure in Kyiv and several other regions.

The latest bombardment followed last week's deadliest attack on Kyiv this year, which claimed 31 lives.

Despite mounting Russian air assaults, Ukraine said its military struck three Russian oil refineries, including the country's largest refinery in Omsk, and targeted two vessels from Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" in the Sea of Azov as part of its continuing counteroffensive.