In a staggering display of military might, Russia unleashed its largest aerial bombardment yet against Ukraine, launching a barrage of 477 drones and 60 missiles in a relentless assault overnight. The strikes wounded at least six people, including a child, according to Ukrainian officials.
The attack, which targeted various locations across the embattled nation, marked a significant escalation in Russia’s campaign to cripple Ukraine’s infrastructure and demoralize its people. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted and destroyed the majority of the incoming projectiles, but the sheer scale of the onslaught highlighted the Kremlin’s determination to maintain pressure on its neighbor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault, describing it as a “massive rocket attack” that caused damage to civilian and energy facilities. “The occupiers can only terrorize civilians. That’s all they can do,” he said in a video address, vowing that Ukraine would not be broken by the relentless barrage.
The latest wave of strikes came just a day after Russia acknowledged that its forces had withdrawn from the strategic city of Kherson, a major blow to Moscow’s military objectives. The Kremlin has increasingly turned to long-range missile and drone attacks as its ground forces have struggled to make significant gains on the battlefield.
Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, called the attack “the biggest of its kind” since the start of the war. The strikes targeted energy infrastructure across the country, causing power outages in several regions, including the capital, Kyiv.
The onslaught underscores the grim reality that the conflict in Ukraine shows no signs of abating, with both sides engaged in a protracted and bloody struggle for control of the country. As the war drags on, the human toll continues to mount, and the international community remains divided in its response to the crisis.
