Russian Missile and Drone Barrage Across Ukraine Kills at Least 9, Wounds Dozens
A relentless wave of Russian missile and drone strikes pummeled several regions of Ukraine overnight, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens more, Ukrainian authorities reported Tuesday. The assault follows President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s warning last week that Moscow was preparing a “massive new strike” — a warning that proved prescient as the scale of the attack materialized within hours.
Russia has maintained near-daily bombardment of Ukraine since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022, and the frequency of such large-scale salvos has increased in recent months. The latest barrage — which Ukraine’s air force said included 73 missiles and 656 drones — underscores the relentless nature of the conflict, even as diplomatic efforts to end Europe’s deadliest war since World War II remain deadlocked.
Ukrainian air defenses managed to intercept or neutralize 40 of the missiles and 602 of the drones, but 38 targets were hit, with the capital Kyiv bearing the brunt of the assault, according to the air force. Local authorities reported that ballistic missiles struck several districts, igniting fires, cutting power to tens of thousands of residents, and trapping people inside damaged buildings.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said four people were killed and at least 58 others wounded — including two children — in what he described as a “mass enemy attack.” Emergency crews raced to put out fires and rescue residents from collapsed structures. Power utility DTEK said electricity was cut to 140,000 customers in the capital, though crews restored power to 110,000 by dawn.
Russia’s military, meanwhile, claimed it had carried out a “massive strike” on Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, using hypersonic missiles among other munitions. Moscow has repeatedly argued that its strikes target only military infrastructure, though the widespread civilian casualties and damage to residential areas contradict that assertion.
The attacks were not limited to Kyiv. In the eastern city of Dnipro, governor Oleksandr Ganzha reported five dead and 25 wounded, with three in serious condition. The Associated Press, citing Ukraine’s state emergency service, said at least six were killed and 36 injured there. A second wave of strikes hit as first responders arrived, killing one rescuer, the AP added. In Kharkiv, mayor Igor Terekhov said 10 people, including a child, were wounded.
Ukraine did not strike back in kind immediately, but earlier in the day a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person in Russia’s Kursk region, near the border, regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said. Another drone caused a fire at an oil refinery in the southwestern Russian city of Krasnodar, according to local operational headquarters.
The coordinated assault came just days after Zelenskyy publicly warned of intelligence pointing to a new Russian push, urging Ukrainians to “protect your lives” and heed air raid alerts. On Tuesday, Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga, characterized the strikes as a sign of desperation from Moscow, writing on social media: “Putin is a war criminal and loser who has no cards except terror. Moscow is losing on the battlefield. No number of missiles can change this.”
In response to the intensifying attacks, Zelenskyy renewed his calls for Western allies to supply more advanced air defense systems, particularly Patriot missile batteries that can intercept ballistic missiles. He wrote to President Trump and Congress last week requesting additional systems, and on Tuesday urged Europe to develop its own anti‑ballistic defense capabilities. “Assistance from the United States in supplying missiles for Patriot systems is absolutely necessary,” he said on social media.
The latest strikes also underline a broader trend: Russia launched a record 8,150 long-range drones at Ukraine in May, according to an AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data — a 24% increase from April. Kyiv intercepted roughly 90% of all incoming drones and missiles last month, but the sheer volume continues to strain the country’s air defense network and take a heavy toll on civilian infrastructure and morale.
As the war grinds into its fourth year, the attacks on Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv serve as a grim reminder that neither side shows signs of backing down, and that Ukraine’s plea for more robust Western military aid remains as urgent as ever.