Ukraine says at least 7 killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says the alliance has been providing "unwavering and persistent" support to Ukraine and will deliver over €35 billion in military aid this year.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of a two-day NATO summit in The Hague, Rutte described Russia as the "most significant and direct threat" the alliance faces.

He said Ukraine's path to eventual NATO membership was ensured, and warned that any Russian attack on NATO would prompt a "devastating" response.

"There's an irreversible path of Ukraine to NATO," Rutte tells reporters. "That is still the truth today and it will still be true on Thursday after this summit."

Rutte said NATO members had agreed to spend 5% of their GDP on defense. "The defense investment plan that allies will agree in The Hague introduces a new baseline—5% of GDP to be invested in defense," he said. "This is a quantum leap that is ambitious, historic and fundamental to securing our future."

Responding to the latest US attacks on Iran, Rutte also noted that Tehran was "heavily involved" in Russia's war against Ukraine.

"Iranian drones are killing innocent Ukrainians every day in cities, in communities without any respect for life," said Rutte.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is ramping up production of its intermediate-range hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, which was first launched against Ukraine in November.

"Serial production of the latest Oreshnik medium-range missile system is underway," Putin said in televised remarks to a graduating class of military cadets.

He added that the missile system had "proven itself very well in combat conditions."

Russia first used the Oreshnik — meaning hazel tree — on November 21, targeting a defense facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Putin said he authorized the strike in direct response to Ukraine’s first use of US-made ballistic missiles and British-made cruise missiles against Russian territory, after Western countries gave their approval.

Following that attack, Putin warned of further strikes, including against "decision-making centres" in Kyiv, if Ukraine continued launching long-range Western weapons into Russia.

Intermediate-range missiles, which can travel up to 5,500 km (3,415 miles), are capable of reaching any target in Europe or the western US from Russian territory.

Putin has claimed that the Oreshnik cannot be intercepted and has destructive power comparable to a nuclear weapon. However, some Western experts have questioned those assertions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in the UK to discuss defense cooperation and new ways to increase pressure on Russia, his spokesman said Monday.

"We will also be negotiating new and powerful steps to increase pressure on Russia for this war and to put an end to the strikes," Zelenskyy said on X, following a deadly Russian attack on Kyiv.

During the visit, Zelenskyy is set to meet King Charles, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the speakers of both houses of parliament. He will also speak with Ukrainian troops training in the UK and meet representatives from think tanks.

"The main purpose of the visit is to deepen defense cooperation," the spokesman added.

Russia says it launched overnight strikes on the Kyiv region, claiming to have targeted military facilities, as part of its ongoing campaign in Ukraine.

The Russian army said Monday it had "launched a combined strike using high-precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles against military-industrial complex enterprises in the Kyiv region."

The announcement came after Ukrainian authorities said attacks on the capital and surrounding suburbs had killed at least seven people.

Russia launched a total of 352 drones and 16 missiles overnight to target Ukrainian territory, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in social media posts on Monday. 

"The main direction of impact is the city of Kyiv," the statement said. 

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the attacks also involved 159 Russian-Iranian Shahed drones.

"In total, 352 drones were launched, including 159 Shaheds just overnight," he wrote on X.

Zelenskyy added that preliminary reports indicate the use of ballistic weapons from North Korea.

The information could not be independently verified.

The attacks reportedly began from 8 pm local time (7pm CET) on Sunday. 

Ukrainian defense forces repelled the air attack, the General Staff said. 

Money is set to dominate the upcoming NATO summit, which is scheduled to begin in The Hague on Tuesday. 

NATO member states are expected to commit to a massive boost in defense spending, not only to deter Russia but also to please United States President Donald Trump.

Trump has demanded an increase in Europe's defense spending since day one. So, will the NATO Summit be a big success for the US president?

Read DW’s in-depth analysis here. 
 

At least seven people were killed in overnight Russian attacks in and around the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday.

Ukraine described the drone and missile strikes as "massive," with officials reporting scores of injuries and fires in residential areas. 

 "Another massive attack on the capital. Possibly, several waves of enemy drones," a statement from Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said. 

Visuals posted by Ukraine's State Emergency Service showed rescue workers taking people to safety from several structures as fires burned.

At least five people were killed in Kyiv's bustling district of Shevchenkivskyi where the entire entrance of a high-rise residential building was destroyed, Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko posted on Telegram.

Klymenko added that there was damage in six of the city's 10 districts.

A 68-year-old woman was killed in the aerial bombardment in Bila Tserkva in the broader Kyiv region, its governor Mykola Kalashnik said in a statement. 

The strikes come a day after Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, vowed to step up strikes on Russia. 

There was no immediate comment from Russia on the attack. 

We are following the latest developments concerning Russia's war in Ukraine. 

An overnight Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine's Kyiv has left at least seven people dead, Ukrainian officials have said.

The attack triggered fires in several residential buildings and structures in the Kyiv region. 

Meanwhile, diplomatic attempts to end the three-year war are hamstrung. The last round of peace talks between the two sides was held three weeks ago. There are no follow-up talks scheduled so far.

Stay tuned for more news and analyses.