In one of the most intense escalations since the war began, Russia launched a sweeping large-scale strike on Ukraine, firing over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles across nearly the entire country, as reported by CNN.
The assault, described by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky as "one of the largest attacks since the beginning of the war." The attack resulted in at least six deaths and 80 injuries, with several people still believed to be trapped under debris.
The strike heavily affected nine regions, including the capital Kyiv, Lviv in the west, and Sumy in the northeast. Among the casualties, three firefighters were killed in Kyiv, two civilians died in Lutsk, and one person was reported dead in Chernihiv, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said according to the report.
President Zelensky, in a post on X, confirmed the scale of the attack and reiterated Ukraine’s resilience. “Over 400 drones, more than 40 missiles were launched by the Russians. 80 people were injured, and some may still be under the debris,” Zelensky wrote in his post.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed the barrage was a response to what it called Kyiv’s “terrorist acts.” However, it remains uncertain whether this marks the extent of Moscow's promised retaliation or if further escalation by President Putin is due.
Ukraine also mounted a sharp response of its own. The Ukrainian Security Service confirmed it had carried out FPV (first-person view) drone attacks on five Russian airbases, targeting locations in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions, reportedly damaging or destroying more than 40 Russian aircraft.
The developments follow a previous overnight attack on Sunday in which Russia launched 472 drones and seven missiles in a single wave, signalling an intensified phase of the conflict.
