Russia launched a new wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s capital early Monday, escalating tensions just a day before a key NATO summit in Ankara that NATO members are expected to attend. US President Donald Trump. The attack comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment, with the war in Ukraine set to be a major topic of discussion among NATO leaders.According to CNN, the Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia used ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones to attack Kiev. Powerful explosions echoed through central Kiev in the early hours of Monday morning as air defense systems responded to the attack.Kiev Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said debris from intercepted missiles and drones caused fires and damage in at least two areas of the capital. Shortly before the explosion, air raid sirens sounded across the city.The latest bombing came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing for another large-scale attack.Zelensky wrote onThe attack was also one of Russia’s deadliest on Kiev in recent months. Last Thursday’s attack killed at least 30 people, CNN reported, making it the third deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital since Russia’s full-scale invasion.The new attacks come as NATO leaders prepare for a meeting in Ankara on Tuesday, where the war in Ukraine is expected to remain top of the agenda. Russian troops have stepped up their offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, which remains one of the Kremlin’s main military targets.At the same time, Ukraine has stepped up long-range strikes in Russia, using missiles and drones to target oil refineries, ports and military industrial facilities, CNN reported.The latest escalation also comes days after a nearly 90-minute phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on July 4. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that during the call, Trump once again offered to help bring an end to the war.
