European leaders voice 'urgent need' to bolster Ukraine's defenses against ballistic missiles

LONDON (AP) — The leaders of the U.K., Ukraine, France and Germany discussed the “urgent need” to ramp up production of weapons to combat Russia's powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missiles in a meeting in London on Sunday.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 10 Downing Street.

In a statement released by Starmer's office following their evening meeting, the leaders condemned Russia’s “large-scale missile and drone attacks — including the repeated use of the Oreshnik missiles — on Ukrainian cities with a tragic toll on civilians." They also condemned Russia's “irresponsible and dangerous Russian drone incursions” into NATO territory, including last month's in Romania.

Russia has stepped up its aerial campaign against Ukraine recently, most notably with the launch of the Oreshnik missiles.

“The leaders underlined the urgent need to scale up the production of interceptors and co-develop anti-ballistic missile and deep strike capabilities," the leaders said.

No details, financial or otherwise, on how this would be done were provided.

Ukraine’s shortage of air defense systems, in part because of the depletion of U.S. stocks during the Iran war, has left civilians especially vulnerable to ballistic missiles, even as Kyiv’s defenses stop most of Moscow’s drones and its forces have made advances elsewhere on the battlefield.

The worry for Ukrainians is that the Iran war, which has been in abeyance for weeks, may now reignite after Iran launched missiles on Sunday at Israel in the first such bombardment since a fragile ceasefire took effect in early April, complicating mediation efforts for a deal to end the war.

Following their meeting in London, the European leaders called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree “an immediate and complete ceasefire” with the current line of contact as a starting point for any negotiations.

The U.K., France and Germany, the so-called E3 group of European nations, have been prominent backers of Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The U.K. and France lead the “coalition of the willing” initiative to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace process.

The meeting comes in the wake of a Russian drone strike that killed three people waiting at a bus stop in southeastern Ukraine. A separate drone strike damaged a storage center for spent nuclear fuel in the Kyiv region, just 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine’s General Staff said. The attack sparked a fire that was extinguished within an hour. Radiation remains within safe levels, officials said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said the incident was “deeply concerning” due to the large amounts of nuclear material held at the facility. He said in a statement that the agency would visit the site of the attack soon.

The Russian attacks follow a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday that targeted Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, underscoring Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia.

With the front line barely moving as swarms of drones hinder advances, both sides have sought an edge by launching long-range strikes.

Associated Press writer Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, second from right, France's President Emmanuel Macron, right, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second from left, and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz pose on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street after their meeting in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, third from left, stands with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, far left, as France's President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz leave 10 Downing Street after their meeting in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, second from right, France's President Emmanuel Macron, right, Ukrain'e President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second from left, and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, pose for photos on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street after their meeting in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

France's President Emmanuel Macron gestures to Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer as they walk out of 10 Downing Street before a meeting inside with the leaders of Germany and Ukraine, in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, second from right, stands with France's President Emmanuel Macron, right, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second from left, and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street after their meeting in, London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Britain's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, left, greets the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street ahead of a meeting inside, in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Britain's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, left, greets the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street ahead of a meeting inside, in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives for a meeting with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany in Downing Street in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Britain's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, left, greets the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street ahead of a meeting inside, in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Britain's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, left gestures to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they step inside 10 Downing Street ahead of a meeting with the leaders of France and Germany in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visits the German Armed Forces Laage airbase, Germany, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (Stefan Sauer/dpa via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with the media as he arrives for the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Montenegro, Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Risto Bozovic)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks at a Vanta system as he visits STARK, a leading defence tech company in Swindon, England, Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to journalists during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

BERLIN (AP) — A van slammed into people gathered for Berlin’s famed LGBTQ+ event on Saturday night, killing one person, injuring at least 16 others and prompting police to call off the celebrations and a concert in the German capital hours after they had begun.

Police said some of the victims had life-threatening injuries. In a post on X, police called on everyone to leave the site of the event immediately as ambulances and firefighters attended to the victims.

“We are conducting an intensive search for possible suspects,” police officer Florian Nath said on a short video released on the Berlin police account on X.

Police spokesperson Alexander Klute told The Associated Press later that “at this point, we don’t know anything about possible motives, the identity of the perpetrator or the perpetrators, or anything of that nature.”

According to police, a white van had driven into the Tiergarten park around 10 p.m., which is next to the route that the pride march had passed along earlier, and hit several people before colliding with a tree. Police could not say how many officers had been deployed to the scene but that it was “definitely a lot of police.”

Overall, more than 2,200 police officers have been on duty in Berlin since Saturday morning to protect the pride parade and other LGBTQ+ events in the city.

Police were conducting witness interrogations at the park during the night and were investigating accounts that in addition to the crash some victims appeared to have suffered stab wounds — but that it was too early to draw any conclusion from those accounts.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner expressed shock, saying that “following a peaceful and vibrant pride parade, the rally for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin was attacked in the most brutal manner.”

“This is an attack on our free and cosmopolitan society,” Wegner said. “I have confidence in the police and security authorities, who will be working around the clock to investigate.”

Meanwhile, authorities called on possible witnesses to come forward and share with police any video or photos they might have taken at the scene of the attack.

The city also activated a crisis hotline for people missing friends or family members.

Hundreds of thousands of people had come to Berlin on Saturday to celebrate at Berlin’s pride parade, known in Germany as Christopher Street Day. It’s one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.

The pride event in front of the city’s Brandenburg Gate, near Tiergarten, was called off around 10:15 p.m. and a band’s performance on stage was interrupted. People were urged to go home and to avoid taking the route through the park.

Before the incident, people had celebrated peacefully, marching through the city for hours, dancing to loud music, and cheering the around 80 floats that participated in the parade.

Julian Miethig, who had attended the LGBTQ+ party at the Brandenburg Gate earlier, said he had just wanted to go to an afterparty when he heard from a friend that “something bad happened there and there are a lot of fire trucks, a lot of emergency vehicles, ambulances.”

He said he went to Tiergarten and was shocked that something like this could have happened at Berlin’s pride celebrations.

“It’s a dark day for the community,” he said.

Mayor Kai Wegner speaks to the media in Berlin, early Sunday, July 26, 2026, following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day festivities. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Emergency personnel gather at an intersection following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day activities in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Fanny Brodersen)

Emergency personnel use flashlights following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day in the Tiergarten area of Berlin on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)

Emergency personnel gather following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day festivities in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A person wrapped in a thermal blanket stands near emergency personnel following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day festivities in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa/dpa via AP)

The crowd celebrate during the Pride March in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Emergency personnel tend to a person on a stretcher following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day in Berlin on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Andreas Rabenstein/dpa via AP)

People march with a rainbow flag during the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)

People wave during the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)

People stand on 17 June Street following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)

Participants with dog masks attend the Pride March in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People march with a rainbow flag during the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)

People carry a "Leather Pride Flag" during the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)

People wave during the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)

Police officers are on the scene following the cancellation of Christopher Street Day in Berlin, on Saturday, July 25, 2026. (Fabian Sommer/dpa/dpa via AP)