Ukraine under ballistic attack, 7 dead. Today the key Trump-Zelensky meeting in Ankara

New night of Russian attacks in Ukrainewhile the leader of Kiev, Volodymyr Zelensky, It’s in Ankara where today a bilateral meeting awaits you on the sidelines of the NATO summit with US President Donald Trump. Moscow’s Defense Ministry claimed a combined attack against Kievhitting the Samsung-Ukraine plant, which produces components for Ukraine’s Flamingo missiles, and a drone assembly workshop.

Russian troops launched two Kh-31P missiles and five Iskander-M and S-400 ballistic missiles. The Ukrainian Air Force admitted that its air defense was unable to intercept none of the ballistic missiles. At least seven dead and several injured across Ukraine due to Russian raids. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said some warehouses had burned down as well as a “non-residential building” and one person was killed.

In the southern region of Mykolaiv a mother and daughter were killed and two others injured, four people were injured in Dnipropetrovsk and two more in Zaporizhzhia. Two also died in the Kharkiv region of north-eastern Ukraine, and another two in the southern Kherson region. In Russia, the governor of the Saratov region reported that one person was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack.

The NATO summit in Ankara and Zelensky’s appeal

This new attack coincides with the annual NATO summit in Ankarawhere Zelenskyy aims to obtain more aid from Europe and the United States to counter Moscow’s offensive. The leader of Kiev urged the allies to increase support for air defenses of the country, which is facing a shortage of interceptors crucial to shooting down Russian missiles. Despite being able to counter swarms of Russian drones targeting the country, Ukraine is having difficulty countering the Kremlin’s new strategy of bombing Kiev with ballistic missiles due to its weakening air defenses.

A topic that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also returned to forcefully during the NATO-Ukraine Council on the sidelines of the summit. Here he reiterated the need for Ukraine to equip itself with the means to defend itself from Russian ballistic missiles. “Air defense remains our top priority”he underlined. “Vladimir Putin bets on ballistic terrorism as last resort.” Ukraine had already been attacked on Monday with 29 ballistic missiles – none of which were intercepted – which caused around thirty deaths. Last Thursday, Russia launched an even more massive attack, further demonstrating the country’s vulnerability to ballistic missiles.

International aid and Kiev’s role as a partner

For the head of Kiev’s diplomacy, strengthening the anti-missile capabilities of the Ukrainian army is the best way to force Russia to the negotiating table: “Ukraine urgently needs timely deliveries of air defense systems and interceptors, especially as winter approaches.” Sibiha also reiterated that “Ukraine is no longer a country that only seeks protection; we are a partner and contributor to security. In the field of collective security, we can contribute our unique strength, experience and innovation. NATO 3.0 will not be complete without Ukraine“he said.

The bilateral with Meloni and the European commitments

Zelensky, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, met the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloniwho reiterated Italy’s firm commitment alongside Ukraine and in favor of a path that leads to a just and lasting peace. The Prime Minister also confirmed the continuation of Italian assistance to the Ukrainian population, with particular attention to interventions aimed at strengthen the resilience of energy infrastructureshit hard by Russian attacks.

“We talked about the need for further interceptors and we count a lot on your support”, said the leader of Kiev, “Italy has always contributed in a coherent way to its principles to the protection of human life”, he added, thanking the government of Rome. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also reiterated support for Kiev, confirming the joint commitment of 70 billion euros per year decided between European allies and Canada for Kiev in the next two years.

“It is solely up to Russia to end this war, and today we will once again do everything we can to achieve this, while also sending a clear message to Moscow: Russia has no chance of winning this war,” he said.