Trump arrives at NATO summit as Kyiv, Russian energy sites face strikes

Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens more in Kyiv early Monday, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of an imminent attack. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted most drones and cruise missiles but none of the 29 ballistic missiles, which all struck their targets amid a reported shortage of Patriot interceptors. Ukrainian authorities reported 68 missiles and 351 drones launched overnight, damaging more than a dozen residential buildings.

Ukraine simultaneously struck three Russian oil refineries and an oil terminal at Vysotsk, according to statements from Ukraine’s General Staff and Security Service. Russian officials confirmed damage to ports at Vysotsk and Ust-Luga plus a temporary power blackout in Sevastopol. These exchanges occurred three days after a prior Russian strike on Kyiv killed 31.

President Donald Trump departs for the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where the central unresolved issue is enforcement of the 5 percent of GDP defense-spending target allies pledged last year. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said the administration expects allies to move immediately toward that goal. Trump is scheduled to meet Zelenskyy on Wednesday to discuss additional air-defense support and the broader war, now in its fifth year.

European allies have increased spending by nearly $139 billion since the prior commitment, with Poland, the Nordic states, and the Baltics leading. Several diplomats noted that many members remain dependent on U.S. forces and Patriot interceptors for ballistic-missile defense. The summit agenda also includes side meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.