Russian missile attack kills 17 as Zelenskiy presses Nato allies for support

A Russian missile strike on Tuesday in southeastern Ukraine killed at least 17 people and caused widespread destruction, officials reported, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Kyiv’s NATO allies to strengthen Ukraine’s defense industry.

The two-part attack in the regional capital, Dnipro, resulted in 15 deaths and left over 200 wounded, including at least 18 children, according to Governor Serhiy Lysak. The blast sent shards of broken glass onto many train passengers.

Mayor Borys Filatov described the rare daytime strike as causing “an unprecedented amount of destruction,” damaging numerous apartment buildings, schools, and other facilities.

In the nearby town of Samar, about 10 km from Dnipro, two people were also killed, and infrastructure was damaged, Lysak added.

The attack coincided with Zelenskiy’s appeal to NATO members in the Netherlands to increase investments in Ukraine’s expanding defense sector and to curb the flow of foreign components that Russia reportedly uses to manufacture weapons.

In response to the attack, Zelenskiy wrote on X: “This is not a fight where it’s hard to choose a side. Standing with Ukraine means defending life.”

Zelenskiy was also scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the summit.

In recent weeks, Russia has intensified air strikes on Ukraine, especially targeting Kyiv. On June 17, a strike killed 28 people—the deadliest this year. Another ten were killed in attacks on Kyiv and its surroundings on Monday.

Following Tuesday’s assault, residents surveyed the damage: a heavily battered apartment building, wrecked vehicles, and shattered windows in a nearby church. Priest Serhii Narolskyi, who was conducting a service during the attack, described the scene:

“It happened in a split second. You opened your eyes, and there were no windows or doors anywhere. Everything was in a half-destroyed state.”