A massive overnight Russian assault involving 18 missiles and around 400 drones has struck Ukraine’s capital, killing at least two people and injuring 16 others, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The deadly attack caused widespread destruction and sent residents scrambling for shelter as air raid sirens blared for over three hours.
Authorities said drone wreckage landed on residential buildings, sparking fires across Kyiv. The Podilsky district saw a primary healthcare centre “almost completely destroyed,” Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirmed. A 68-year-old woman and a 22-year-old police officer were among the dead, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported.
The attack is part of a broader escalation in Russian aerial strikes. Ukraine’s air force also reported simultaneous drone threats in multiple regions. Just days earlier, the country experienced what officials described as the largest aerial attack since the war began, involving 728 drones and 13 missiles.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (HRMMU) stated that June 2024 marked the deadliest month in three years, with 232 civilians killed and over 1,300 injured. HRMMU head Danielle Bell emphasized the increasing toll: “Civilians across Ukraine are facing levels of suffering we have not seen in over three years.”
President Zelensky accused Russia of intensifying “terror” tactics and urged allies to speed up sanctions and increase military aid. He also called for immediate investment in drone interception and air defense technology. The U.S. recently resumed sending weapons to Ukraine after a brief pause.
The assault further dampens hopes for diplomacy. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared diplomatic efforts “exhausted,” while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed similar sentiments. U.S. President Donald Trump, once confident he could broker peace swiftly, expressed growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
With peace talks stalled, international focus is shifting toward Ukraine’s defense and recovery. A 77-nation conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction begins Thursday in Rome, with air defense and sanctions expected to top the agenda. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Malaysia later in the day.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, shows no signs of slowing.
