Russia launched a fresh missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early Monday, trapping residents inside a badly damaged residential building near the city centre, while a Ukrainian strike knocked out electricity supplies in Sevastopol in Russian-annexed Crimea, as both sides intensified attacks and President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Moscow was preparing a new massive assault.
Kyiv Under Attack: Residential Building Hit in Podil District
Reuters witnesses reported a series of explosions in and around the capital and said air defences were also in action against Russian drones. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a residential building had been hit in the historic Podil district. "People are trapped on the seventh to ninth floors," Klitschko wrote on Telegram, adding that debris from intercepted drones had also fallen on another residential building and in other districts of the city of about three million people.
The latest attack came only days after Russia launched one of its heaviest bombardments of Kyiv, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles and killing at least 30 people.
Sevastopol Blackout After Ukrainian Strike on Energy Infrastructure
Meanwhile, in Crimea, Sevastopol was temporarily left without electricity following what local authorities described as a Ukrainian attack on energy infrastructure. "Following an enemy attack on energy infrastructure near Sevastopol, our city was temporarily left without electricity," Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev, appointed by Moscow, wrote on Telegram.
Zelensky Warns of New Russian Massive Strike Ahead of NATO Summit
The exchange of strikes came as Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence indicated that Russia was preparing another large-scale attack. "Intelligence once again has information the Russians are preparing a new massive strike," the Ukrainian president said in his nightly address on Sunday. He warned that Moscow could be planning further attacks ahead of this week's NATO summit in Turkiye, where he is expected to hold talks with US President Donald Trump on the war.
Fighting Over Kostyantynivka Continues Despite Russian Claims
Zelensky also said fighting continued for the key eastern town of Kostyantynivka despite Russian claims that it had captured the settlement. Moscow announced earlier this week that its forces had taken the town, a strategic gateway to other important hubs in the Donetsk region. Kyiv rejected the claim as false. "Fighting is also continuing for Kostyantynivka, which Putin has already claimed as his own, but it is obvious that he will never dare to appear there," Zelensky said. The town, which had a pre-war population of around 78,000, has long been a major objective of Russia's campaign in eastern Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that Ukraine had rejected a proposal for a six-hour ceasefire in and around Kostyantynivka that Moscow said would have allowed it to hand over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers. According to the ministry, Russia had given Kyiv until 0900 GMT on Sunday to respond to the proposal. Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on the claim.
Long-Range Strikes and Prospects for Peace
Zelensky said Ukrainian long-range strikes deep inside Russia, including attacks on oil and fuel facilities, were producing results and argued that increased pressure on Moscow was necessary to bring peace. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's largest conflict since World War Two, has now dragged on for nearly four and a half years, with prospects for a negotiated settlement remaining uncertain as fighting intensifies on both sides.
