Death toll rises to 21 with more than 80 injured in huge Russian attack on Kyiv – Europe live | Europe

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Here is your summary of the day so far:

• At least 21 people were killed and dozens injured overnight in Kyiv, local authorities said, in what the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko claimed was the worst Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital during more than four year’s of Russia’s air assault on Ukraine (9:25).

• Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to “definitely” retaliate against Russia as he visited one of the sites of the attack (16:48).

• EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she would propose further sanctions on Russia, saying “the more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed” (9:31).

In other news,

• Over in Germany, chancellor Friedrich Merz has laid out his plans for wide-ranging reforms in a bid to revive the country’s struggling economy and counter the rise of the far-right ahead of key land elections this autumn (10:09).

• German prosecutors have accused Ukrainian “state authorities” of ordering the 2022 explosives attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia with Europe, a charge likely to ignite tensions between Kyiv and Berlin, its biggest military backer (11:44).

• France, Portugal (15:50) and Spain are bracing for another possible heatwave that could bring temperatures of 44C over the coming days, as figures show that June’s extreme heat was responsible for more than 2,000 excess deaths in the two countries.

I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to retaliate for Russia’s strikes on Kyiv that killed at least 21 people and wounded dozens, as he visited an apartment block partially destroyed in the attack.

Asked by reporters whether Ukraine would retaliate, Zelensky replied: “Definitely”.

The death toll from last night’s Russian attacks on Kyiv has risen to 21, and 85 people are confirmed injured, including two children, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said in an update.

Back to Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian ⁠defence official, Rustem Umerov, and US president ⁠Donald Trump’s son-in-law ⁠Jared ​Kushner have held talks in the ⁠past two days, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Speaking at one ​of the ‌sites ‌targeted in a devastating Russian ‌attack on Kyiv as rescuers sifted through rubble, Zelenskyy said he still hoped Kushner and ‌envoy Steve Witkoff would visit Ukraine even though ​US-backed peace efforts to end the war have stalled for months, Reuters reported.

Zelenskyy ⁠added that he hoped ​to have ​a meeting ​with Trump on the ​sidelines ‌of a ​Nato ​summit in the Turkish capital Ankara next week.

Vatican excommunicates all members of ultra-conservative rebel group SSPX

Angela Giuffrida

The Vatican has excommunicated a rebel group of ultra-conservative Catholics who defied Pope Leo by ordaining bishops without his consent, creating a schism in the Roman Catholic church.

In a statement on Thursday, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who heads the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the group from the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), founded in the Swiss village of Ecône in 1970, had “committed an act of a schismatic nature” which, under canon law, is punishable with automatic excommunication.

The Vatican went further than expected and said that all priests of the SSPX and all Catholics who “adhere formally” to the group were in schism and excommunicated.

A schism is a term to indicate a severe, formal rupture within the church.

Andrea Vreede, Vatican correspondent for NOS, the Dutch public radio and TV network, said:

“The Vatican hopes that by being harsh on the bishops, the priests and faithful, maybe some of them will repent and turn back to mother church. Because it’s not nice to be excommunicated.”

Ryanair warns of ‘queue chaos’ because of new UE entry/exit system

Lisa O’Carroll

Ryanair has warned of “queue chaos” this summer at EU airports because of new fingerprint checks, as the European Commission invited the air industry to an urgent meeting next Tuesday to discuss concerns over the new entry and exit system.

The airline, Europe’s largest, said passengers going on well-deserved breaks this summer should not be used as “guinea pigs” for a “half-baked” system.

Airlines for Europe and Airports Council International have asked the commission to suspend the new border controls “at least throughout July and August” but potentially for a full year until next summer.

They are concerned that airports are not ready to cope with the influx of passengers over the peak summer season, that staff are being subjected to abuse as queues build for fingerprinting and that the whole travel industry will be hit hard.

On Thursday, Ryanair said it had already urged suspension until September in the “most exposed countries”, claiming the current infrastructure is “not ready to manage the high passenger volumes expected” from mid July.

It listed seven airports that were already “experiencing major disruptions” with “further congestion expected” as the holiday season gets busier.

The airports are: Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante and Málaga in Spain, Milan Bergamo in Italy, Kraków in Poland and Paris Beauvais in France.

Neal McMahon, Ryanair’s chief operating officer, said:

“It is clear that the entry/exit system (EES) is still not ready for peak summer volumes. Passengers and families should not be used as guinea pigs for a half-baked passport control system that risks creating long queues, missed flights and unnecessary stress at airports this summer.”

The Portugese government has declared a state of alert over extreme temperatures expected in the country over the weekend.

“Each one of us has the responsibility to prevent and do our part. I ask everyone to respect the authorities’ instructions. We are all necessary to protect our community,” prime minister Luís Montenegro said on X.

The alert will last until 11.59pm on Monday and includes the ban on use of some machinery in agricultural settings as the government hopes to reduce the risk of wildfires.

Residents were also told to drink at least 1.5 litres of water, avoid alcohol, and stay cool with windows, blinds and shutters closed during the hottest periods.

Interior minister Luís Neves warned the country faced an unprecedented fire risk, as temperatures could reach up to 47C locally, which combined with low humidity levels effectively posed the risk of “a real powder keg,” Publico reported.

Jakub Krupa

Let me quickly bring you up to date on other news from across Europe.

Romanian president Nicușor Dan has condemned the Russian “reckless and irresponsible” attack on Kyiv overnight.

In a post on X, he said:

“Our condolences and deepest thoughts of compassion go out to the Ukrainian people and all the affected families. We also wish a swift recovery to the wounded.

Russia has demonstrated once again that it does not want peace and is not engaging in reasonable behaviour to advance toward a comprehensive security situation.

Romania will support Ukraine for as long as it takes to defend its freedom.”

UK prime minister Keir Starmer has issued a statement condemning Russia’s attacks on Kyiv.

He said:

I am utterly appalled by Russia’s latest barbaric assault on Kyiv, which has killed and injured innocent civilians.

These attacks are a stark reminder that while Ukraine continues to pursue peace, (Vladimir) Putin continues to inflict suffering and violence on the Ukrainian people.

The UK will continue working with allies to increase pressure on Russia and support Ukraine in securing a just and lasting peace. We stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

The number of people killed in Kyiv after Russia’s overnight attack has risen to 20, according to a local official.

More than 56 others were injured after a barrage of Russian drones and missiles struck the Ukrainian capital.

A record number of people took shelter in underground stations in Kyiv last night, with 52,500 people, including nearly 4,500 children, finding refuge in the city’s metro system.

It was the highest number of people to shelter in underground stations during a night-time air raid in recent years, according to the Kyiv Metro.

There are 46 underground stations that operate as shelters in the city, the Kyiv Metro said.

Separately, ⁠Germany’s foreign ministry condemned Russia’s ⁠major ⁠strike on ​Kyiv ⁠in the strongest possible terms ⁠and vowed ​to ‌continue ‌supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.

In a statement, it said:

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the massive Russian airstrikes on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine last night.

Once again, Putin’s Russia has subjected the Ukrainian capital and large swathes of the country to massive drone and missile attacks.

People were killed or injured in their sleep, homes were destroyed, and civilian infrastructure, such as a medical facility, was severely damaged. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.

The shocking images of destruction from last night demonstrate once again that Russia is continuing its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine with unabated brutality.

Putin shows no willingness to negotiate. He continues to rely on missile and drone terror against the population, while Russia suffers enormous losses on the front lines in its aggression against Ukraine.

Therefore, Germany, together with its partners, is further increasing the pressure on Russia. We will continue to support Ukraine in its fight to defend itself. This support will also be a key topic at next week’s NATO summit in Ankara.

Meanwhile, German prosecutors alleged that Ukrainian state authorities were behind the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline linking Russia with Europe in a move which AFP said could complicate close relations between Kyiv and its key military backer Berlin.

In a statement detailing the charges brought against one suspect, German prosecutors said that he and other members of the Ukrainian military had acted “on the orders of state authorities in Ukraine”.

The suspect in question was arrested in summer 2025 in Italy and extradited to Germany the following November, and was named at the time as Serhii K., AFP said. He has denied involvement, Reuters noted.