Russian forces, taking advantage of a dearth of Ukrainian air defense missiles, unleashed a large drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early Tuesday morning. The attack set large fires in two of Kyiv’s districts.
The city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said early on Tuesday that air defense units were attempting to shoot down the attacks. He added that fires had broken out in the Holosiivskyi district of the city after the strikes.
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“Russia is attacking Kyiv with ballistic missiles. Stay in shelters,” Klitschko warned citizens as the attack began.
In the Darnytskyi district, falling debris landed in an open area and set several vehicles ablaze. No casualty reports have been given yet.
The Kyiv Post reported that indications were that Russia fired six to eight modified S-400 ballistic missiles at the capital.
Coalition Of The Willing To Tackle Russia’s Missile Threat
Just prior to this latest attack on Kyiv, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy joined several heads of state in Paris on Monday at a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” to discuss how to support Ukraine and pressure Russia to end the war.
The coalition’s plans include developing a new anti-ballistic missile system as a cheaper alternative to the United States’ Patriot system.
Overall, 10 countries, along with a dozen firms from the defense sector, met to discuss what they called the Integrated Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition.
“We believe that the protection of Europe requires a global solution of integrated missile defense architecture to deter and defeat future missile threats,” the leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and Britain said in a statement released.
A U.S. Marine with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, fires a TOW missile during exercise Bougainville II at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, April 18, 2021. Bougainville II is the second phase of pre-deployment training conducted by the battalion designed to increase combat readiness through complex and realistic live-fire training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jacob Wilson)
“It will complement existing ballistic missile defense systems, including sovereign European solutions already acquired or to be acquired by participating countries.”
President Zelenskyy has pleaded with leaders of the United States, NATO, and the West for more air defense weapons and has urged Europe to work with it on a joint anti-ballistic missile defense system.
Zelenskyy Urges Development Of The Freyja Project
“The threat of ballistic missiles in the world is only going to increase. This is one of the main consequences of the wars in Russia and Iran,” Zelenskyy said. “Therefore, Freyja must become a reality.”
The Freyja Project is an international anti-ballistic missile defense program spearheaded by the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, aimed at developing a cheaper, mass-produced alternative to U.S. Patriot systems.
Consisting of a coalition of nine European nations (including France, Germany, the UK, Italy, and the Netherlands), the shield is designed to intercept fast-moving ballistic missiles for approximately $700,000 per missile, compared to roughly $3.8 million for a US-made Patriot missile.
During last week’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, President Trump pledged to let Ukraine build its own Patriot interceptor missiles after recognizing that, in Zelenskyy’s words, Ukraine is “a country that is ready to do this.”
Despite the US and European allies ramping up production of their missile defense systems, there is still a significant shortfall between demand and production.
“By bringing together our defense industrial base, our research, and our operational experience, we aim to build a shared antiballistic missile capacity for Europe and support relevant contributory activities. We do this not against any people, but in defense of our own,” the nine nations said in a statement.
The group added that its current priorities are to “establish common operational requirements, joint technical working groups, clear governance mechanisms, and a roadmap towards the Coalition’s first operational capabilities.”
The Freyja Project system functions as a highly modular, open-architecture “system of systems” rather than a stand-alone national network.
The system’s mobile launchers and FP-7.x interceptor missiles are integrated with European command posts and radar systems from major defense firms such as Hensoldt, Thales, and Kongsberg.
UN Estimates Up To 40,000 Civilian Casualties In Ukraine
Since the war started in early 2014, Russia has targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure (apartment buildings, hospitals, small neighborhoods), trying to terrorize and break the will of the Ukrainian people.
In one of the most brazen attacks against civilians earlier this month, an 11-hour drone and missile strike across Kyiv killed at least 30 civilians and injured nearly 100 others, severely damaging apartment blocks and an ambulance station.
Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, the UN estimates that there have been between 15,000 and 40,000 civilian casualties, with targeted bombings consistently destroying residential areas, energy grids, and medical facilities.
The UN admits that these numbers are probably much lower than the actual ones, as the exact number of casualties isn’t known yet.
Human rights organizations and the UN continue to document these actions as violations of international humanitarian law. Ukraine’s civilian casualties have skyrocketed by more than 31 percent in 2025.
Ukraine and Zelenskyy are acutely aware of the shortage of systems to protect their people and are trying to develop one quickly.
“Each of us holds a crucial piece of the puzzle: we in Ukraine have the missiles, but these are only parts of the system,” he said. “Together, we can create this comprehensive system – Freyja – within the next twelve months.”
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
