Russia has launched a large-scale wave of drone and missile attacks across Ukraine, killing at least four people in the capital city of Kyiv and injuring around 40 others nationwide. The strikes targeted multiple locations, including residential areas, causing extensive destruction and widespread debris.
According to Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, Russian forces fired at least 38 cruise missiles, six ballistic missiles, and 407 drones overnight. The attacks hit several cities including Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Lutsk. The city of Chernihiv suffered 14 explosions from drones and ballistic missiles alone.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed four fatalities in the capital, while Ukraine’s emergency services reported that three firefighters were killed during rescue efforts. “Four people had been killed in Kyiv,” Klitschko said on Telegram, adding that search and rescue operations are ongoing.
The wave of strikes is seen as retaliation following daring Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Russian territory. Ukraine’s security service recently targeted Russian airfields, successfully hitting multiple military aircraft, including nuclear-capable heavy bombers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the mission as an “absolutely brilliant” operation.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly told then-US President Donald Trump that Russia would retaliate. However, Trump’s recounting of the conversation did not suggest he urged Putin to de-escalate or halt the invasion. Trump likened the war to “a brawl between children,” commenting, “Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart.”
Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko criticized Trump’s stance, stating, “When Putin mentioned he is going to avenge or deliver a new strike against Ukraine, we know what it means. It’s about civilians… And President Trump didn’t say, ‘Vladimir, stop.’”
The conflict has seen an escalation in drone warfare from both sides. Last week, Russia launched over 900 kamikaze drones and nearly 100 missiles, killing 16 civilians in Ukraine. Ukraine responded with drone attacks targeting military sites in Russian regions including Tula, Alabuga, and Tatarstan, deploying around 800 drones.
In a separate incident, a Ukrainian drone strike hit an industrial site in the southern Russian city of Engels, with footage showing flames and smoke rising from the scene. Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed to have intercepted and destroyed 174 Ukrainian drones and three Neptune-MD guided missiles over the Black Sea.
The intensifying drone conflict underscores the evolving nature of warfare in the region, with both sides continuing to inflict damage and casualties amid ongoing hostilities.
