Kyiv Hit by Drones and Missiles as Zelensky Eyes October

Russia struck at the heart of Ukraine's scientific establishment on Monday, hitting the National Academy of Sciences building in Kyiv with a drone, an attack officials called a blow to the country's intellectual heritage. More drones followed over the capital that evening, with a hit in the Podilskyi district sparking a fire in a non-residential area, while earlier in the day two Russian ballistic missiles landed near residential buildings without detonating and were safely defused by Ukrainian sappers. The damage to data centers spilled into daily life too, with city authorities warning that transit payment systems could fail overnight, from 22:00 through Tuesday morning. Kyiv is already looking past the wreckage toward autumn. President Zelensky said he has approved a plan for long-range strike operations through October and expects good financial news soon. Germany is meanwhile confronting the gap that keeps letting drones and missiles through: Chancellor Friedrich Merz called air defense Ukraine's biggest weakness and said Berlin is working with partners to strengthen it. That vulnerability was on the agenda in Berlin, where Kazakhstan's president Tokayev, standing beside Merz, again urged Putin to freeze the war and turn to diplomacy. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis struck a different note, saying Prague is ready to respond if Russia ever attacks the Baltic states.