By Marcel Gascón
Kyiv, June 17 (EFE).— A wave of Russian missile and drone strikes hit Ukraine early Tuesday, killing 10 people in Kyiv and two in Odesa, just as G7 leaders met in Canada to discuss global security and the war.
The deadly attack came after several relatively quiet nights as Kyiv residents were jolted awake by the sounds of air defense systems, missile explosions, and machine-gun fire aimed at downing Shahed kamikaze drones.
The assault coincided with the G7 summit underway in the Canadian province of Alberta, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending as a guest, was scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian leader had hoped to personally persuade Trump to impose sanctions on Russia to pressure the Kremlin to end the war.
“These attacks are pure terrorism. And the whole world, the United States and Europe, must finally respond as a civilized society responds to terrorists,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.
However, his meeting with Trump was thwarted after the US president left the summit early to address the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel in the Middle East.
Zelenskyy said his administration remains in close contact with all international partners “at all possible levels” to ensure an “appropriate” response to the renewed Russian assault.
According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, the attack was intended to “make the G7 leaders look weak.”
The Ukrainian president had also planned to discuss the possibility of purchasing air defense systems and other weapons from the United States to better protect Ukrainian territory.
The Trump administration has not approved any new arms packages for Ukraine since taking office, and Kyiv’s offers to pay for weaponry, supplied free of charge during Joe Biden’s presidency, have so far gone unanswered.
‘About 500 drones and missiles’
Russia launched 440 drones and 32 missiles in its overnight barrage across Ukraine. The arsenal included two Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, a Kh-31 anti-radar missile, and several cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported intercepting 26 of the missiles and neutralizing 239 drones. According to their statement, 10 sites were directly hit, while debris from intercepted weapons landed in another 34 locations.
One of the missile strikes collapsed several floors of a residential building near an industrial zone in western Kyiv.
By midday, rescue teams were still sifting through the rubble, an EFE reporter said.
The blast wave and shrapnel from this and other nearby impacts damaged the facades of multiple businesses and apartments.
A thick column of smoke continued to rise from within the industrial area for hours after the attack.
More than 100 people were injured across eight districts of Kyiv affected by the bombing.
Odesa, in southern Ukraine, was also among the targets. “Unfortunately, the lifeless body of a 60-year-old woman was found under the rubble,” wrote Odesa region governor Oleh Kiper on Telegram. He added that 17 people had been injured in the area. EFE
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