Russia launched its most intense drone and missile strike on Ukraine since the start of the war, just hours after a high-stakes phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without any tangible breakthrough. The overnight assault Friday left at least 23 people wounded, damaged infrastructure across multiple regions, and reignited international condemnation of Moscow’s wartime strategy.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, the barrage included a staggering 539 drones and 11 ballistic and cruise missiles — the most launched in a single attack since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. This marked not only an operational escalation but a symbolic one, as it came on the heels of a phone call that had raised cautious hopes for a potential de-escalation.
“This was a message,” said Serhiy Naiev, a high-ranking Ukrainian military commander. “It was Russia’s way of responding to diplomacy — not with words, but with firepower.”
The overnight assault struck multiple cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro, triggering air raid sirens in nearly every region of Ukraine. Tymur, a Kyiv resident and survivor of previous attacks, told AFP that this one stood apart.
“Nothing like this attack had ever happened before. There have never been so many explosions,” he said. “Peaceful people live here. That’s all.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reacting swiftly, denounced the attack and issued another plea to Western allies, particularly the United States, for increased support.
“Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “All of this is clear evidence that without truly large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behaviour.”
He confirmed that he would be speaking with President Trump later in the day.
Hours before the attack, Trump and Putin held their sixth direct phone conversation since Trump’s return to office in January. Both leaders entered the call under international pressure to find a path to ceasefire or dialogue.
However, the tone emerging from Washington was notably different this time. “No progress was made,” Trump admitted bluntly in a brief statement. “Putin remains committed to continuing the war.”
According to White House officials, Trump raised concerns about civilian casualties and warned of further international isolation. But the Kremlin’s post-call readout made clear Russia had no intention of changing course.
“Russia will continue to pursue the aims of its special military operation,” the Kremlin said, using its long-standing euphemism for the war.
The attack’s timing appeared designed to humiliate Trump diplomatically. “President Trump: Putin is mocking your peace efforts,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski wrote on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that Poland’s embassy in Kyiv had been damaged in the strikes, though no injuries were reported among staff.
Germany’s foreign ministry echoed this sentiment, stating, “Ukraine needs more to defend itself, not less. This attack shows Russia continues to rely on brute force.”
In the aftermath, Kyiv’s residents scrambled into subway stations for shelter, some carrying children, pets, and essential belongings in backpacks. AFP journalists on the ground reported dozens taking cover under the soft hum of metro lights, waiting out the thunder of explosions above.
Yuliia Golovnina, a 47-year-old resident, described the panic and helplessness.
“Will there be another one? Will something collapse on you?” she asked. “So in those seconds, you just hold your breath and wait to see what happens next.”
Videos posted by local journalists showed shattered glass, charred vehicles, and burnt-out residential buildings. Emergency responders worked overnight to rescue trapped civilians and extinguish fires.
Ukraine’s Interior Ministry confirmed that 23 people were injured, including several in critical condition. There were no immediate fatalities, but the psychological toll was deepening.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force spokesperson, the Friday strike was the single largest drone-and-missile assault of the war so far. The use of 539 drones — primarily Iranian-made Shahed-136 models — marked a new high in Russian drone deployment.
Most of the drones were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, bolstered by Western-supplied systems such as the U.S.-made Patriot and German IRIS-T platforms. Still, many slipped through.
“The saturation level was beyond anything we’ve seen,” the air force official said. “Even with advanced systems, you can’t intercept everything when 500-plus drones come at once.”
Military analysts interpreted the attack as part of a broader Russian strategy to exhaust Ukraine’s air defenses and morale — a war of attrition that plays to Moscow’s strengths.
The attack also came during a delicate moment in U.S. domestic politics. Congress has recently stalled new military aid packages, and the Trump administration announced earlier this week a temporary reduction in deliveries of ammunition and replacement parts.
That decision has raised alarm bells in Kyiv. “Every drone and missile not intercepted is a direct result of delays in aid,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.
Sybiga also criticized the outcome of the Trump-Putin call. “Putin clearly shows his complete disregard for the United States and everyone who has called for an end to the war,” he wrote.
European leaders have stepped in rhetorically, if not yet materially. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the attack a “wake-up call,” urging the 27-nation bloc to “step up its efforts” to support Ukraine.
As Russia escalates aerial attacks, Ukraine has ramped up drone strikes deep inside Russian territory. On the same night as Russia’s barrage, a Ukrainian drone struck a residential building in the Russian border city of Rostov, killing one woman and injuring several others, according to regional authorities.
While Ukraine rarely confirms cross-border strikes, Kyiv has hinted that such actions are justified responses to ongoing Russian aggression.
“We will not remain passive while missiles fall on our homes,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to President Zelensky. “Every launch site in Russia is a legitimate target.”
Moscow condemned the Ukrainian strike as “terrorism” and vowed retaliation.
The war, now in its fourth year, has entered a grinding, devastating phase with no clear path forward. Russia controls significant swaths of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine, and neither side appears ready to concede.
For Ukraine, continued military resistance depends heavily on Western support. Without sustained arms supplies and financial backing, the country risks being outgunned and overrun.
For Russia, the attack underlined its willingness to endure diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions in pursuit of its strategic goals — however ambiguous or shifting they may be.
And for civilians on both sides, Friday’s escalation was another grim reminder that the war is far from over.
Trump’s post-call statement marked a rare moment of frustration from a leader who, until recently, had expressed belief in negotiating personally with Putin.
After initially offering to broker a peace deal “within weeks” upon returning to the White House, Trump’s tone has shifted. Observers say this reflects his growing realization of Putin’s intransigence.
“He misread Putin,” said Fiona Hill, a former U.S. National Security Council expert on Russia. “He thought personal diplomacy could solve this, but Putin sees Trump’s outreach as weakness — and that’s dangerous.”
Trump has insisted that diplomacy must continue, but pressure is now mounting for more decisive steps. Several senators from both parties have urged the White House to resume full-scale arms shipments immediately.
The events of the past 24 hours may mark a turning point in the war — not in terms of territorial shifts, but in global perception.
For Ukraine, it is a bitter reminder of its ongoing vulnerability and dependence on foreign support. For Russia, it is a bold demonstration that it remains undeterred by diplomatic outreach. For the West, it is a litmus test: Is the appetite to support Ukraine’s defense eroding, or will this escalation galvanize renewed unity?
“What we are seeing now is the war entering a new psychological phase,” said Volodymyr Fesenko, a Kyiv-based political analyst. “Russia wants the world to believe the war is endless and unwinnable. Ukraine is fighting to prove otherwise.”
But as explosions light the skies over Kyiv and Rostov alike, the path to peace remains as distant as ever.
- Total drones used by Russia in Friday’s attack: 539
- Total missiles launched: 11
- Ukrainians wounded: 23
- Regions affected: Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Poltava, Lviv
- Polish embassy damage: Confirmed; no injuries
- Civilian fatality in Russia from Ukrainian drone strike: 1
- Duration of Trump-Putin call: 48 minutes
- Confirmed Russian military objectives post-call: Unchanged
Russia’s largest drone and missile attack since 2022 is more than a military escalation — it’s a deliberate rebuke of diplomacy, a signal to Washington, and a brutal message to the Ukrainian people. With no ceasefire in sight and political pressures mounting on both sides, the war enters a perilous new chapter defined by aerial terror, diplomatic gridlock, and strategic uncertainty.
