Kyiv under fire from Russian missiles after EU-Ukraine sign drone deal

Russian ballistic missiles struck the Ukrainian capital in a significant overnight assault, targeting multiple districts and triggering widespread fires. According to Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the strikes resulted in two fatalities and six injuries, with three of the wounded requiring hospitalization. Emergency crews responded to blazes at a warehouse in the Sviatoshynskyi district and a nonresidential building in the Darnytskyi district, with additional fires ignited by falling missile debris in the Darnytsia area.

The attack occurred hours after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv to mark Ukraine's Statehood Day and unveiled a joint EU-Ukraine initiative focused on drone production. Von der Leyen emphasized the partnership would combine Ukrainian battlefield expertise with European industrial capacity to establish joint projects and rapidly scale manufacturing. She highlighted the EU's advantages, including technological and industrial resources alongside secure production facilities.

Ukraine's military reported striking six Russian tankers and two tugboats in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov overnight. The vessels were being used to transport Russian oil and petroleum products in circumvention of international sanctions and to supply fuel for Moscow's military operations.

The escalating strikes from both sides over recent months have driven up civilian casualties. Ukrainian regional officials reported that Russian bombardments across the country on Wednesday killed 13 people and injured approximately 50 others, with daylight attacks specifically targeting industrial plants and healthcare facilities in the Black Sea port city of Odesa and the northeastern city of Sumy near the Russian border.