Russia and Ukraine Trade Heavy Strikes on the Eve of the NATO Summit

Russia launched one of its larger recent assaults on Ukraine overnight, firing 351 drones and 68 missiles at Kyiv, according to Israel's Ynet, which noted the attack followed the deadliest single night in the capital so far this year. The death toll climbed through the day to at least 15 people killed in the city and six more in the surrounding region, with about 60 wounded, according to city officials cited by CNN. Ukraine's air force said all of the ballistic missiles fired struck their targets, underscoring Kyiv's dependence on United States Patriot interceptors that are in short supply. The barrage came days after a 90-minute call between Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia and ahead of the Ankara summit, where President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is expected to press for additional Patriot air-defense systems and tens of billions of dollars in support.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces struck Ukrainian military and fuel sites, including filling stations in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, per RIA Novosti. Moscow said its air defenses intercepted 519 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight, according to state broadcaster RT. These figures come from the combatants and cannot be independently confirmed, and each side reports its own successes and the other's aggression.

The pattern is now familiar. Fighting intensifies in step with the diplomatic calendar, with each strike meant to shape the terms of talks that neither side has abandoned. The targeting of fuel depots and logistics on both sides continues to pressure energy infrastructure and, by extension, the revenue and supply lines that sustain the war.