Kyiv endured its most intense aerial assault since the start of Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian officials said Friday, after a massive overnight barrage of drones and missiles lit up the skies, shook the capital, and sent families scrambling into shelters.
The attack, which lasted seven hours, killed one person and wounded at least 26 others including a child while emergency crews battled fires, cleared rubble, and raced to evacuate survivors.
“It was a harsh, sleepless night,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing the assault as “cynical” and coordinated to terrorize civilians.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across the country, the majority being Iranian-made Shahed drones.
Eleven missiles were also fired. Kyiv bore the brunt of the onslaught, with more than 300 tons of rubble cleared from damaged neighborhoods.
“What Kyiv endured last night cannot be called anything but a deliberate act of terror,” Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called it an “absolutely horrible and sleepless night” and “one of the worst so far.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it targeted Ukrainian factories producing drones and military hardware. Ukraine’s military said air defenses shot down 270 incoming targets, but some managed to strike eight sites and damage five districts in Kyiv.
Among those affected was 23-year-old wedding photographer Alya Shahlai, whose home was destroyed. “We were all in the basement shelter because it was so loud staying home would have been suicidal,” she said.
The air attack coincided with a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump also spoke to Zelenskyy later on Friday, in what Ukrainian officials called a “very important and meaningful” conversation. However, Trump admitted the call with Putin yielded no progress toward peace.
“I don’t think he’s looking to stop the fighting and that’s too bad,” Trump told reporters.
Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Russia remains committed to achieving its war goals and removing what it calls the “root causes” of the conflict.
Despite international efforts, meaningful peace negotiations remain stalled. The only recent developments have been limited prisoner exchanges. On Friday, both Ukraine and Russia confirmed a new swap of wounded soldiers, with Zelenskyy saying many Ukrainians had been in captivity since 2022.
The massive assault comes as Russia ramps up both aerial and ground operations. Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 5,438 drones in June alone, breaking previous records. Over 330 missiles, including 80 ballistic missiles, were fired during the same month.
As the US pauses delivery of some air defense systems, Ukraine faces increasing pressure to strengthen its domestic arms production a goal Zelenskyy says is underway but not yet scalable.
In addition to Kyiv, the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and wider Kyiv region also suffered strikes, adding to fears of an expanded campaign of destruction across Ukraine.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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