Russia launches a major aerial attack on Kyiv hours before high-level talks on support for Ukraine

By EMMA BURROWS and ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press Russia unleashed one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine in up-to-date months only hours before the U K and Germany are to chair a meeting to discuss U S President Donald Trump s plans for NATO allies to provide Ukraine with weapons The attack killed two people and wounded including a -year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared In Kyiv s Shevchenkivskyi district a drone struck the entrance to a subway station where people had taken cover Videos posted on social media revealed the station platform engulfed by smoke with dozens of people inside Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko mentioned the station had to be ventilated in what he called an enhanced mode Firefighters work in a destroyed apartment building after a Russian attack in Kyiv Ukraine Monday July AP Photo Efrem Lukatsky The heaviest strikes hit Kyiv s Darnytskyi district where a kindergarten supermarket and warehouse facilities caught fire French Foreign Minister Jean-No l Barrot arrived in Kyiv on Monday and visited various of the damage The hourslong drone and missile assault on Kyiv overnight into Monday underscored the urgency of Ukraine s need for further Western military aid especially in air defense a week after Trump reported deliveries would arrive in Ukraine within days US defense chief and NATO leader will attend Ukraine meeting The virtual meeting will be led by British Defense Secretary John Healey and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius Healey commented U S Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and NATO leader Mark Rutte as well as NATO s Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen Alexus Grynkewich will attend the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group Moscow has intensified its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate as Russian drone production expands Related Articles In current times in History July verdict reached in Scopes Monkey Trial In current times in History July Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin walk on the moon Brazil weighs measures on US dividends tech firms reports say In the present day in History July the Seneca Falls Convention Brazil s former President Bolsonaro ordered to wear an electronic ankle monitor In an shift of tone toward Russia Trump last week gave Moscow a -day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tougher sanctions At Monday s meeting Healey was expected to urge Ukraine s Western partners to launch a coincidental -day drive to get Kyiv the weapons it requirements to fight Russia s bigger army and force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table the U K cabinet stated in a declaration Trump s arms plan revealed a week ago involves European nations sending American weapons to Ukraine via NATO either from existing stockpiles or buying and donating new ones The U S president indicated discussions were partly focused on advanced Patriot air defense systems and commented a week ago that deliveries would begin within days But last week various senior agents suggested no transfers had yet taken place NATO s Grynkewich notified The Associated Press on Thursday that preparations are underway for weapons transfers to Ukraine while U S Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated he couldn t give a time frame Ukraine wants American-made Patriot missile systems Germany has declared it offered to finance two new Patriot systems for Ukraine and raised the possibility of supplying systems it already owns and having them replaced by the U S But delivery could take time German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested because they have to be transported they have to be set up that is not a question of hours it is a question of days perhaps weeks Other Patriot systems could come thanks to Switzerland whose defense ministry reported Thursday it was informed by the U S Defense Department that it will reprioritize the delivery of five previously ordered systems to endorsement Ukraine While Ukraine waits for Patriots a senior NATO official reported the alliance is still coordinating the delivery of other military aid such as ammunition and artillery rounds which includes aid from the U S that was briefly paused The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters Zelenskyy commented Saturday that his executives have proposed a new round of peace talks this week Russian state media on Sunday disclosed that no date has yet been set for the negotiations but reported that Istanbul would likely remain the host city The Kremlin spokesman noted Sunday that Russia is open to peace with Ukraine but achieving its goals remains a priority Ukraine also fires drones at Moscow The overnight Russian barrage of Kyiv began shortly after midnight and continued until around a m Residents of the capital were kept awake by machine-gun fire buzzing drone engines and multiple loud explosions It was the first major attack on Kyiv since Trump s special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg arrived in the city last Monday Russia halted strikes on Kyiv during his visit Russia s Ministry of Defense mentioned its attack used drones and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles It noted that the barrage successfully targeted airfield infrastructure and Ukraine s military-industrial complex Ukraine s air force stated Russia launched Shahed and decoy drones overnight Monday as well as missiles of various types It disclosed drones were intercepted with more jammed or lost from radars Four Ukrainian planes unintentionally penetrated Romanian airspace for several minutes but did not pose a threat to national protection or civilian lives Romania s Ministry of National Defense announced It commented the brief incursion occurred as Ukraine took measures to move military aircraft away from airfields in western Ukraine amid the Russian bombardment Ukraine meanwhile continued to deploy its domestically produced long-range drones Russia s Ministry of Defense reported that its forces shot down Ukrainian drones overnight with almost a third of them destroyed close to the Russian capital Twenty-three drones were shot down in the Moscow region the ministry reported of which were intercepted over the city itself Novikov released from Kyiv Ukraine Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath in Bucharest Romania contributed to this summary