Russian missiles struck Kyiv early Wednesday, marking the third major attack on the Ukrainian capital in less than seven days. City mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed on Telegram that the assault triggered fires in two districts, though details on casualties or structural damage remain unclear. This follows a deadly Monday strike that killed at least 14 people and damaged a dozen buildings. Moscow has not issued a public statement on the recent attacks, which targeted electrical substations, radar systems, and missile installations. In response, Ukraine said it launched drone strikes on 10 Russian tankers—eight in the Sea of Azov and two later in the day—part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" supplying fuel to occupied Crimea. Each sanctioned vessel had a deadweight of approximately 7,000 metric tonnes. The Sea of Azov serves as a critical logistics route for Russian forces in southern Ukraine. The exchanges occur during NATO's two-day summit in Ankara, where leaders are discussing increased military support for Ukraine, particularly air defence systems. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced new defence agreements with Estonia, the Netherlands, and Denmark, enabling joint production and export of Ukrainian-developed military technology. Further pacts are expected with Germany, Norway, Finland, and Canada. US President Donald Trump, attending the summit, said he believes Russia and Ukraine "both want to make a deal" and expressed hope the war would end soon, despite having previously spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy is securing new defence partnerships while Kyiv burns under repeated missile strikes that have killed civilians days before. The timing of Trump's comments—after speaking with Putin and before meeting Zelenskyy—casts doubt on whether Western unity translates to urgent action. Agreements on drone production mean little if air defences cannot intercept incoming missiles. The summit's promises may be too slow for a city under weekly bombardment.
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