In one of the heaviest aerial bombardments of the war, Russia launched over 400 drones and 40 missiles across Ukraine overnight, killing at least six people and injuring around 80 others on Friday.Footage of the assault showed missiles slamming into the ground, lighting up the night sky with deafening booms and fiery explosions.The devastating attack came days after Kyiv carried out a drone strike on Russian airfields, and just hours after US President Donald Trump said Moscow would likely retaliate.The assault lasted several hours and hit six Ukrainian regions, including 407 drones and 44 ballistic and cruise missiles, according to Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat. Ukrainian defences shot down roughly 30 missiles and up to 200 drones. The barrage killed emergency workers in Kyiv and civilians in Lutsk and Chernihiv, further dimming prospects for peace.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to X to condemn Russia’s actions. “This is not a country seeking peace,” he said. “Russia doesn’t change its stripes.”The timing of the strike coincided with Trump’s remarks that it “might be better to let Ukraine and Russia fight for a while” before attempting further peace efforts. His comments mark a shift from earlier calls for a negotiated settlement and cast doubt on any immediate diplomatic breakthrough.Although two rounds of direct peace talks have taken place, negotiations remain stalled. Ukraine has proposed a 30-day ceasefire and a direct Zelenskyy-Putin meeting, but the Kremlin has rejected the offer, continuing to demand terms unacceptable to Kyiv.“The Kremlin continues efforts to falsely portray Russia as willing to engage in good-faith negotiations to end the war,” the Institute for the Study of War of Moscow said ThursdayThe massive barrage by Russia destroyed residential buildings and critical infrastructure. Fires broke out in multiple Kyiv districts, leaving over 2,000 homes without power. “They were working under fire to help people,” said Ukraine’s Interior Ministry about the emergency responders killed in the capital.Furthermore, drone debris caused blackouts in Ternopil, Lviv, and Khmelnytskyi, while Russia’s defence ministry claimed it hit military targets, including arms depots and drone factories.Ukraine launched retaliatory drone strikes on Moscow and other regions, damaging industrial sites and injuring three people. Russian air defences intercepted 174 drones and three Neptune missiles, and reported sabotage of railway infrastructure in Belgorod.
