Russia has launched its most extensive aerial assault on Kyiv since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Early Thursday morning, the Ukrainian capital experienced 539 drone and 11 missile strikes that hit almost every district, resulting in at least 23 injuries. Air raid sirens blared non-stop for eight hours, ceasing around 5 a.m. local time.
“It was a brutal, sleepless night,” Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky stated.
According to a statement from the Ukrainian Air Force, some targets were either damaged or shot down during the attack.
On Friday, a Ukrainian drone incident occurred. Two people were injured in the attack, according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov.
The Russian strikes took place hours after President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday night. “I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there… I’m just saying I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad,” the President remarked early Friday.
The U.S. President is scheduled to hold a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today.
In his Friday post on X, Zelensky affirmed that the regions of Dnipro, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv were also targeted in the overnight attacks. “All of this is clear evidence that without truly large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behavior,” he added.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Less than a week ago, the country conducted a record aerial assault on Ukraine.
Zelensky’s top aide, Andriy Yermak, reiterated the push for increased Western pressure on Russia, asserting that Putin’s goal is to “keep killing Ukrainians for as long as he’s allowed to.”
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also denounced the overnight Russian attacks, claiming that Putin is “mocking” Trump with the continued offensive amidst U.S.-led cease-fire efforts. “Please restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine and impose tough new sanctions on the aggressor,” Sikorski appealed.
Earlier this week, the Trump Administration temporarily suspended some military aid to Ukraine, including air defense missiles and precision-guided artillery. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that the pause was necessary to evaluate the state of U.S. stockpiles.