Second attack in four days: Russia kills at least 22 people in Kyiv

BarcelonaRussia does not loosen its pressure on Ukraine. This Monday in the early morning, Moscow has once again bombed Kyiv, just four days after the last fatal attack on the Ukrainian capital. At least 14 people have died in Kyiv and six more have lost their lives in the neighboring town of Vyshneve, where 500 people have been evacuated due to the risk of new explosions following attacks on fuel depots. In addition, according to the balance of the Ukrainian authorities, 87 people have been injured.

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, has reported material damage in three districts of the city. Several apartment blocks have suffered damage and fires as a result of the Russian bombing, and rescue teams have had to evacuate several residents from the affected buildings, including children. During the early morning, Ukraine's air force had warned via Telegram of the arrival of Russian drones and missiles in the direction of Kyiv, and in the early hours of Monday, loud explosions were heard.

Ukraine has stated that Russia used 68 missiles and 351 drones in the attack. Unmanned aircraft have become one of the main methods used by both Kyiv and Moscow in attacks, and both countries — and also Europe — are engaged in a race to increase reserves of these devices and improve the effectiveness and range of attacks carried out with them.

But the projectiles that have caused the most significant damage in Monday's attack have been the 29 ballistic missiles launched by Moscow. Kyiv has not been able to intercept any, as acknowledged by the Ukrainian president himself, Volodymyr Zelensky, who attributed it to the "insufficient provision of interceptor missiles" by the United States and Europe.

On the eve of the NATO summit

The attack occurs one day before the annual NATO summit, which will be held this Tuesday and Wednesday in Ankara, Turkey. This was highlighted by Zelensky himself in a message on X, in which he asked for "firm decisions of support" for Ukrainian air defense to emerge from the meeting and once again insisted that the strength of the United States and Europe is "enough! to stop Russian "terror".

In reaction to the attack, most leaders have mentioned the Atlantic Alliance summit. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has stated that Ukraine "urgently needs more air defense". "We will discuss this week at the NATO summit," she said in a message on X in which she made it clear that the allies will continue "increasing pressure on Russia until the bloodshed ends".

For his part, Donald Trump has stated that the end of the war in Ukraine "is closer than people think". Without providing any further details, the US president also said that during the summit in Turkey he will address the Ukrainian front, and assured that Vladimir Putin "feels the pressure" from allies to reach an agreement.