Ukraine says at least 7 killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv – DW – 06/23/2025

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. 

Ukraine’s schools teaching students how to pilot drones

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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.