Hours after US President Donald Trump said in a phone conversation with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he had made “no progress” toward a ceasefire agreement, Russia launched a record number of drones at Ukraine overnight into Friday, hitting several structures and residential areas.
According to Kyiv city and military authorities, the 13-hour attack left at least 23 persons injured.
According to Ukraine’s air force, 476 of a record 539 Russian drones were intercepted.
According to the report, Russia also fired eleven ballistic and cruise missiles.
Thousands of residents spent the night in shelters, including in subway stations or underground parking lots, as explosions and the sound of drones echoed through the city in the early hours of Friday morning.
“Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv. One of the worst so far,” said Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called it “one of the most large-scale air attacks” the country had seen.
“Notably, the first air raid alerts in our cities and regions yesterday began to blare almost simultaneously with media reports discussing a phone call between President Trump and Putin,” Zelensky said. “Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror.”
The strikes sparked fires in buildings and structures across several city districts, and partially destroying multi-story buildings, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
They also destroyed part of Kyiv’s railway, and damaged five ambulances that were responding to calls from those wounded.
In recent weeks, Russia has launched near-nightly air attacks on Ukraine involving hundreds of missiles and drones.
Earlier this week Ukraine’s foreign minister said that in June alone, Russia launched over 330 missiles, including nearly 80 ballistic missiles, 5,000 combat drones, and 5,000 gliding bombs against Ukraine.
On Thursday, Trump held a nearly hour-long call with Putin and voiced frustration afterward about the stalled ceasefire negotiations.
Trump said he would speak with Zelensky early Friday morning, saying he was “very disappointed” with his conversation with Putin, whom he believes is “not looking to stop” the war.
The strikes come as the Trump administration pauses some weapons shipments to Ukraine, including air defense missiles, following a review of military spending and American support to foreign countries.
Trump acknowledged said that the decision had been made to protect US stockpiles.
The US has been the biggest single donor of military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, supplying Ukraine with air defense systems, drones, rocket launchers, radars, tanks and anti-armor weapons, leading to concerns over dwindling US stockpiles.
