On Tuesday night, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was attending the 36th NATO Summit in Ankara, Russia struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the eastern city of Kharkiv with ballistic missiles.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that a missile hit warehouses in one neighborhood and caused a fire in a non-residential building in another. On social media, Klitschko urged residents to 'stay in shelters,' saying, 'The enemy is attacking the capital with ballistic missiles.'
Simultaneously, the city of Kharkiv also came under missile attack. Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that more than 20 homes were damaged in strikes on two districts and that two people suffered psychological shock.
Zelenskyy asks NATO for air defense
At the NATO summit in Ankara, Zelenskyy reiterated his call for allies to strengthen his country's air defense. On the sidelines of the summit, Zelenskyy is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, with the aim of increasing urgent Patriot missile deliveries and reviving efforts to end the war that has lasted more than four years.
Ukraine strikes Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov
In parallel with the Russian missile strikes, the Ukrainian Armed Forces intensified operations to isolate Crimea. Ukrainian drones targeted 12 fuel tankers of Russia's 'shadow fleet' heading toward Crimea in the Sea of Azov over the past two days.
Ukraine's UAV Forces announced that the attacks hit eight sanctioned ships and two more tankers in the Sea of Azov, adding that these operations complicated the fuel and ammunition logistics of Russian forces.
Peskov: Europe is prolonging the war
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused European countries of pressuring Ukraine to continue the war. Speaking to the Swiss-based magazine Weltwoche, Peskov said the West's belief that it could strategically defeat Russia was 'the greatest mistake of all time.'
Expressing concern over Europe's 'militarization' and rearmament, Peskov argued that Russia is not a party seeking to start a third world war. Despite current tensions, he said there is enough rationality to maintain communication with the United States.
