Russia targets Ukraine capital in massive assault as talks on US arms deal begin
A drone struck the entrance to a subway station in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district where people had taken cover. Videos posted on social media showed the station platform engulfed by smoke, with dozens of people inside. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the station had to be ventilated in what he called an 'enhanced mode'.
The heaviest strikes hit the city's Darnytskyi district, where a preschool, supermarket and warehouse facilities caught fire.
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who arrived in Kyiv yesterday for talks with Mr Zelensky, visited some of the damaged area. Mr Zelensky and Mr Barrot spoke about expanding defence co-operation, including a decision by French companies to start manufacturing drones in Ukraine, and advancing Ukraine's path towards EU membership, the Ukrainian leader said on social media.
The overnight drone and missile assault on Kyiv underscored the urgency of Ukraine's need for further Western military aid, especially in air defence, a week after Mr Trump said deliveries would arrive in Ukraine within days.
The virtual meeting of high-level military officials yesterday was led by British Defence Secretary John Healey and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Nato leader Mark Rutte, as well as Nato's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, attended the meeting of the Ukraine Defence 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.
Ukraine's new Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal urged allies to speed up deliveries of US air defence systems under the plan put forward by Mr Trump.
'I request the US to make these weapons available for purchase, and our European partners to extend all the needed financing for their procurement,' Mr Shmyhal, who until recently served as prime minister, said as the meeting began.
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Mr Trump's arms plan, announced a week ago, involves European nations sending US weapons, including Patriot air defence missile systems, to Ukraine via Nato – either from existing stockpiles or buying and donating new ones.
In an shift of tone towards Russia, Mr Trump last week gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tougher sanctions.
At yesterday's meeting, Mr Healey was expected to urge Ukraine's Western partners to launch a '50-day drive' to get Kyiv the weapons it needs to fight Russia's bigger army and force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, the UK government said in a statement.
Gen Grynkewich told The Associated Press on Thursday that 'preparations are under way' for weapons transfers to Ukraine while US Ambassador to Nato Matthew Whitaker said he could not give a time frame.
Germany has said 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 US.
But delivery could take time, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, 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 defence ministry said on Thursday it was informed by the US Defence Department that it will 'reprioritize the delivery' of five previously ordered systems to support Ukraine.
While Ukraine waits for Patriots, a senior Nato official said the alliance is still co-ordinating the delivery of other military aid – such as ammunition and artillery rounds – which includes aid from the US that was briefly paused. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Mr Zelensky said on Saturday that his officials have proposed a new round of peace talks this week. Russian state media on Sunday reported that no date has yet been set for the negotiations, but said that Istanbul would likely remain the host city. The Kremlin spokesman said on Sunday that Russia is open to peace with Ukraine, but achieving its goals remains a priority.
The overnight Russian barrage of Kyiv began shortly after midnight and continued until around 6am. Residents of the capital were kept awake by machine-gun fire, buzzing drone engines and multiple loud explosions.
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 426 Shahed and decoy drones overnight into Monday, as well as 24 missiles of various types. It said 200 drones were intercepted with 203 more jammed or lost from radars.
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