Zelensky to press NATO in Turkey for more air defences after Russian strikes on Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to press NATO leaders in Turkey for additional air-defence systems and interceptor missiles, after what NATO officials and Ukrainian authorities described as an intensified campaign of Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv. The push comes as Russia hit apartment buildings in the capital twice within a week, killing more than 50 civilians, according to BBC reporting, and as Kyiv and its allies brace for further pressure in the skies during an already high-stakes diplomatic window.

The BBC said Zelensky will use the NATO meeting in Ankara to argue that the most urgent gap is protection against ballistic missiles, which can be harder to intercept than other categories of incoming fire. Zelensky’s call is being framed around public safety and the operational limits of Ukraine’s air defences as Russia shifts tactics, with Ukraine’s air force publishing daily tallies of weapons launched and intercepted, and with Ukrainian leaders urging that interceptor supply be expanded quickly.

Ahead of the NATO gathering, France 24 reported that Russia launched a deadly barrage of missiles and drones at Kyiv on Monday, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 100, in what Ukrainian authorities described as the second major strike on the capital in a week. France 24 also said the attack came on the eve of the summit where Zelensky is expected to press allies for stronger air-defence support, particularly against hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to BBC reporting, urged member states to “pull their weight” to ensure Ukraine gets what it needs to defend its sovereignty. Rutte also said that Kyiv is “changing the dynamic on the battlefield,” a reference to the effect of Ukraine’s growing ability to disrupt Russian positions, while acknowledging that ballistic missiles are creating real and immediate challenges for Kyiv’s defences.

In parallel to Zelensky’s diplomatic outreach, BBC reporting described Ukraine as stepping up long-range drone attacks into Russia, including against oil refineries and military targets, contributing to fuel shortages and power cuts. Those developments have fed a cycle of intensified air activity on both sides, with Kyiv arguing it is being forced to operate under acute constraints when it comes to intercepting certain missile types.

The BBC also reported that Zelensky expects a crucial meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump during the NATO summit in Turkey, and that he plans to press the case that continued Russian attacks are a sign of weakness rather than strength. Zelensky has said Russia’s tactics aim to inflict as much pain and damage as possible on Ukrainians, while also calling on allies to make “decisions” on air defence.

For NATO, the near-term practical question is whether member states and partners will translate summit-level commitments into additional deliveries of interceptor missiles and air-defence systems that Ukraine can deploy rapidly. For civilians in Kyiv and surrounding regions, the timing is immediate, since the attacks described by BBC and France 24 underscore how quickly a shift in air activity can translate into mass-casualty consequences for apartment blocks and other densely populated areas.