On Tuesday, Russian missile and drone assaults resulted in the deaths of at least 21 individuals and left dozens more injured in Ukraine, including 10 children, coinciding with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the Netherlands for a NATO summit.
A missile attack in the eastern city of Dnipro took the lives of at least 19 people and caused injuries to nearly 300, as per local authorities. Earlier that day, a different drone strike in the northeastern Sumy region claimed the lives of three people, including a five-year-old boy.
These attacks occurred as Zelensky arrived in The Hague to participate in the NATO defense summit, where he is anticipated to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday to discuss imposing new sanctions on Russia and the provision of weapons, according to Ukrainian sources reported by AFP.
Emergency responders in the Dnipropetrovsk region shared images of rescuers assisting bloodied civilians. Regional governor Serhiy Lysak reported two additional fatalities and nine injuries in the nearby town of Samar.
“This is arguably one of the most audacious attacks on Dnipro since the onset of the full-scale war,” Dnipro’s Mayor Borys Filatov remarked.
The missile strikes caused damage to a passenger train, schools, and healthcare facilities in Dnipro, as Russian forces continue their advance toward the region’s border in an effort to establish a presence there for the first time since the invasion began over three years ago.
In addition, two other casualties were reported in Samar.
“While leaders convene in The Hague for the NATO summit, Russia delivers a message of terror and an outright dismissal of peace,” stated Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga. “It is crucial for allies to intensify pressure on Moscow for the sake of credibility.”
In Sumy, overnight drone strikes killed three individuals and destroyed several homes, according to local officials. Oleh Hryhorov, the head of the regional military administration, mentioned that a five-year-old boy was rescued from the debris of a collapsed house.
“The strike claimed the lives of people from various families. They all resided on the same street, going to sleep in their homes, only to have their slumber interrupted by Russian drones—forever,” Hryhorov said.
These missile and drone assaults followed a day after Ukraine reported that Russian strikes had killed 10 people in Kyiv and targeted several regions.
Meanwhile, in Russia, officials confirmed that a man died due to a Ukrainian drone attack in the southwestern Belgorod region.
Additionally, a Ukrainian drone targeted a residential building in the Moscow region overnight, injuring two individuals, including a pregnant woman.
Approximately 100 residents, including 30 children, were forced to evacuate the apartment building, according to regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov. He also mentioned that two other drones were intercepted and shot down.
