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Massive Russian Strike Hits Ukraine Again

Ukraine faced a major Russian missile assault Monday morning that President Volodymyr Zelensky had publicly predicted hours earlier, just days before a NATO summit in Ankara.

Eleni Papadaki-Van Der Merwe Staff Writer

JULY 6, 2026 AT 4:20 PM

According to The European Conservative, Zelensky warned via his Facebook page on Sunday that he expected Russia to launch a large-scale offensive against Ukraine ahead of the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara.

The Ukrainian leader’s prediction proved accurate as Moscow carried out exactly such a strike, deploying missiles across multiple Ukrainian targets. The timing of the attack appears designed to influence the diplomatic atmosphere in the days leading up to the critical NATO gathering in the Turkish capital.

The assault underscores the continuing intensity of the conflict and Russia’s willingness to escalate military operations at strategically significant moments in the international calendar. Zelensky’s advance warning suggests Ukrainian intelligence had detected preparations for the strike.

The NATO summit in Ankara is expected to address ongoing security arrangements in Eastern Europe and the alliance’s posture toward the war in Ukraine. Russia’s decision to launch a major missile barrage just days before the meeting sends a clear message to Western powers gathering to discuss Ukraine’s future security framework.

Details on casualties and damage from the missile attack were not immediately available, though Ukrainian air defense systems were reportedly activated across the country in response to the incoming threats.

With information from The European Conservative

Eleni Papadaki-Van Der Merwe

She was born in 1986 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is the granddaughter of an immigrant from Crete who settled in the Greek community of Johannesburg (one of the largest in Africa). She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Political Science from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg and a master’s degree in Journalism from Rhodes University in Grahamstown. She began her career at English-language media outlets in Johannesburg, covering politics and economics, with a focus on issues related to migration and the diaspora. She moved to Athens in 2015 to “return to her roots,” initially to pursue graduate studies, and has remained there permanently. She is married to an Afrikaner; they have two children and live in the southern suburbs of Athens.