Russia Bombs Kyiv Following Announcement of European Alliance to Enhance Support for Ukraine

SadaNews - Early Tuesday, Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, just hours after nine European countries and Ukraine announced the formation of a new alliance aimed at enhancing defensive capabilities against ballistic missiles, a move that Moscow deemed an additional escalation.

Ukrainian authorities reported hearing several explosions in central Kyiv, while the attack came after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to widen the response to Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory, asserting that the forthcoming responses would be "several times stronger."

In contrast, Russia announced the death of 13 civilians due to strikes by Ukrainian drones targeting Russian-controlled areas in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Reuters reported sources close to the Kremlin stating that Putin currently shows no readiness to negotiate an end to the war amid continuing Ukrainian attacks on Russian facilities, including oil refineries.

The military escalation followed a summit held in Paris, during which France, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine announced the establishment of a defensive alliance to develop systems to counter ballistic missiles, emphasizing that the goal is to protect peoples, not target any party.

France, Britain, and Spain also announced their readiness to send troops to Ukraine following a ceasefire, despite Moscow's warnings that any foreign forces would be considered legitimate targets.

Conversely, the United States has ruled out sending ground troops but indicated its readiness to participate in monitoring any future truce.

Kyiv's allies reaffirmed, following the Paris meeting, their commitment to provide additional support for Ukrainian air defenses, along with conducting training for forces that may be deployed in the future, as part of increasing pressure on Russia to end the years-long war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that enhancing ballistic missile defense capabilities is a crucial step towards ending the war, while French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed his country's continued support for Ukraine at an increased pace.

Macron announced that France would allow Kyiv to produce cruise missiles, precision munitions, and interceptor missiles for air defense, in addition to delivering 16 Rafale fighters expected to enter service between 2028 and 2029, marking the first French approval for the production of French weapons within Ukraine.

For its part, Moscow criticized the European summit, describing it as a gathering of leaders "who do not want peace," while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov considered the new alliance as a gathering of "war fomenters."