KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has strongly condemned Russia, Iran, and North Korea, labeling them a “coalition of murderers” following a deadly overnight barrage of missiles and drones that struck the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in the early hours of Monday, June 23, 2025.
At least nine civilians were confirmed dead, and over 30 others injured, after more than 350 Iranian-designed Shahed drones and 16 missiles rained down on residential and infrastructure targets across Kyiv. Ukraine’s air defense systems intercepted a majority of the aerial threats, but several projectiles still penetrated city defenses, causing massive destruction and panic among residents.
President Zelenskyy, addressing the media while on a diplomatic trip to the United Kingdom, accused Moscow of deepening its military cooperation with rogue regimes, particularly Iran and North Korea. He alleged that the drones used in the attack were Iranian-made but assembled in Russia, while some of the missiles fired bore the markings of North Korean origin.
“Everyone in countries neighboring Russia, Iran, and North Korea should be thinking carefully about whether they could protect lives if this coalition of murderers persists and continues spreading their terror,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader’s remarks came during a high-level engagement with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III, as part of broader diplomatic efforts to strengthen military support for Ukraine. He also confirmed that Ukraine and the United Kingdom had agreed to jointly manufacture long-range combat drones aimed at improving Ukraine’s defensive and offensive capabilities.
The deadly strike on Kyiv marks one of the most intense aerial attacks in recent months, highlighting the growing complexity of Russia’s military operations, now allegedly supported by direct hardware from Iran and North Korea. Zelenskyy warned that this collaboration posed a direct threat not just to Ukraine, but to global peace and regional stability.
Meanwhile, Kyiv’s emergency services battled fires and rescued victims trapped under rubble. The Ukrainian military stated that investigations are ongoing to trace the exact origin of each weapon used in the assault.
The latest attack comes ahead of Zelenskyy’s scheduled appearance at a NATO summit in The Hague, where he is expected to push for more air defense systems, especially the U.S.-manufactured Patriot missiles, and advocate for stricter sanctions on Iran and North Korea.
As global concern rises over the expanding scope of the war, international observers say Ukraine’s growing diplomatic outreach to NATO allies is aimed at countering what Zelenskyy calls the “axis of authoritarian aggression.”
