Russian Missiles Kill 9 in Kyiv, Hours After Trump Backs Off Air Defense Pledge

What the report says

Russian missile strikes killed nine people in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, according to the New York Times, in a second deadly attack on the city within two days. The strikes came as Moscow intensified its bombardment and, the newspaper reported, appeared to be taking advantage of Ukraine’s shrinking stock of air-defense interceptors.

The timing of the assault was notable because it followed, within hours, a reported shift by President Trump away from a pledge on air-defense support. The New York Times’ framing suggests the attack underscored how exposed Kyiv remains when air defenses are strained, even as the war continues to produce repeated hits on urban areas.

Kyiv has been a frequent target throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and air-defense systems have been central to protecting the city from missiles and drones. In general, shortages of interceptor missiles can make it harder for defenders to stop incoming strikes, which is why supplies of those weapons have become a major issue in discussions of Ukraine aid.

The latest barrage adds to pressure on Ukraine’s air-defense network and highlights the broader stakes of military assistance and battlefield attrition. The New York Times reported the deaths and the context of escalating Russian attacks, but did not provide further details in the supplied text about the specific targets or damage from the strike.