Russia strikes Kyiv with missiles, drones in largest aerial attack since war in Ukraine began
Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine during the night, the country's air force said. The majority were Shahed drones, but Russia also launched 11 missiles in the attack.
"It was a harsh, sleepless night," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Russia is escalating its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Less than a week ago Russia launched its previous largest aerial assault of the war. That strategy has coincided with a new push by Russia's bigger forces along parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometre front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure.
Trump 'not happy' with Russia's attacks
The attack on Kyiv began the same day a phone call took place between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy called the timing of the strikes a deliberate signal that Moscow has no intention of ending the war.
Trump said he would call Zelenskyy on Friday. U.S.-led international peace efforts have been fruitless so far.
When asked if he made any progress with Putin on a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine, he said: "No, I didn't make any progress with him today at all."
"I'm not happy about that. I'm not happy about that," Trump said of Russia's war in Ukraine.
EARLIER | How Trump's recent criticism of Putin may signal U.S. policy shifts:
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According to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser, the Russian leader emphasized that Moscow will seek to achieve its goals in Ukraine and remove the "root causes" of the conflict.
"Russia will not back down from these goals," Ushakov told reporters after the call.
Putin has argued he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to fend off a threat to Russia posed by Ukraine's push to join NATO and to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine, arguments rejected by Kyiv and its allies. He insisted any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine abandon its NATO bid and recognize Russia's territorial gains.
Pentagon halts deliveries of air defence missiles
The U.S. has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defence missiles. Ukraine's main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time.
Throughout the night, Associated Press journalists in Kyiv heard the constant buzzing of drones overhead and the sound of explosions and intense machine gun fire as Ukrainian forces tried to intercept the aerial assault.
"Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on social media platform X. "One of the worst so far."
Ukraine's Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko described "families running into metro stations, basements, underground parking garages, mass destruction in the heart of our capital."
"What Kyiv endured last night, cannot be called anything but a deliberate act of terror," she wrote on X.
Kyiv was the primary target of the countrywide attack. At least 14 people were hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Russia strikes 5 Ukrainian regions
Ukrainian air defences shot down 270 targets, including two cruise missiles. Another 208 targets were lost from radar and presumed jammed.
Russia successfully hit eight locations with nine missiles and 63 drones. Debris from intercepted drones fell across at least 33 sites.
In addition to the capital, the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Kyiv regions also sustained damage, Zelenskyy said.
Emergency services reported damage in at least five of the capital's 10 districts. In Solomianskyi district, a five-story residential building was partially destroyed and the roof of a seven-story building caught fire. Fires also broke out at a warehouse, a garage complex and an auto repair facility.
In Sviatoshynskyi district, a strike hit a 14-story residential building, sparking a fire. Several vehicles also caught fire nearby. Blazes were also reported at non-residential facilities.
In Shevchenkivskyi district, an eight-story building came under attack, with the first floor sustaining damage. Falling debris was recorded in Darnytskyi and Holosiivskyi districts.
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Russia strikes Kyiv with missiles, drones in largest aerial attack since war in Ukraine began
Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Waves of drone and missile attacks targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial attack since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began more than three years ago, injuring 23 people and inflicting severe damage across multiple districts of the capital in a seven-hour onslaught. Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine during the night, the country's air force said. The majority were Shahed drones, but Russia also launched 11 missiles in the attack. It was a harsh, sleepless night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Alya Shahlai, a 23-year-old wedding photographer, said her home was destroyed in the attack. We were all in the [basement] shelter because it was so loud; staying home would have been suicidal, she told The Associated Press. We went down 10 minutes before, and then there was a loud explosion and the lights went out in the shelter. People were panicking. Throughout the night, AP journalists in Kyiv heard the constant buzzing of drones overhead and the sound of explosions and intense machine gunfire as Ukrainian forces tried to intercept the aerial assault. At least 14 people were hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galuschenko said that the attacks severed the power line that connects the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the power grid. The UN's atomic energy agency said in a social media post (new window) that the plant was relying on its emergency diesel generators for power. Its six reactors are all shut down but the plant requires power to its cooling systems for safety, the International Atomic Energy Agency said. The largest nuclear plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia facility has been a focus of concern since Russia took control of it soon after its early 2022 invasion of Ukraine. During the course of the war, the external power has been cut multiple times, forcing the plant to rely on its diesel generators. No progress in latest Putin call, Trump says Russia is escalating its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Less than a week ago, Russia launched its previous largest aerial assault of the war. That strategy has coincided with a new push by Russia's bigger forces along parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometre front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure. Russia's Defence Ministry said it had successfully struck military targets in Kyiv, while also capturing the village of Predtechyne in the eastern Donetsk region. WATCH | How Trump's recent criticism of Putin may signal U.S. policy shifts: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Trump vs. Putin: Is the U.S. finally fed up with the Russia-Ukraine war? U.S. President Donald Trump's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war and Putin has changed drastically over time. Andrew Chang explores how Trump's recent criticism of Putin may signal U.S. policy shifts. Then, can one judge overrule Trump? The attack on Kyiv began the same day a phone call took place between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy called the timing of the strikes a deliberate signal that Moscow has no intention of ending the war. The U.S. has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defence missiles. Ukraine's main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time. Zelenskyy and Trump spoke after Friday's wave of attacks. The Ukraine president said they discussed air defences and agreed to work on increasing Kyiv's capability to defend the sky. He added that he discussed joint defence production, as well as joint purchases and investments with the U.S. leader. Separately, a spokesperson for Friedrich Merz said the German chancellor had reached out to Trump via phone call on Thursday to discuss Germany buying Patriot missile defence systems from the U.S. and delivering them to Ukraine. Putin has argued he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to fend off a threat to Russia posed by Ukraine's push to join NATO and to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine — arguments rejected by Kyiv and its allies. He insisted any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine abandon its NATO bid and recognize Russia's territorial gains. When asked if he made any progress with Putin on a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine, Trump said: No, I didn't make any progress with him today at all. WATCH l Kyiv residents seeks shelter in latest attack: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Kyiv residents take shelter underground as explosions rock city People took shelter in a basement in Kyiv overnight as Russia hammered Ukraine's capital with drones in a widespread attack. Russia says 1 person killed, substations damaged In Russia, Ukraine launched a drone attack on the Sergiyev Posad district, near Moscow, early on Friday, injuring one person and damaging power infrastructure, the head of the district said. Oksana Yerokhanova wrote in a post on the Telegram messaging app that at least four explosions were recorded throughout the district — some 75 kilometres from the Kremlin — and that a power substation was damaged, leaving parts of the district without electricity. In the southern Russian region of Rostov, a woman was killed as a result of Ukraine's drone attack, which damaged several apartment buildings and forced the evacuation of scores of people from their homes, the acting governor of the region said Friday. The scale of the attack on Russia was not immediately known. There was no comment from Ukraine. In general, Kyiv says that its attacks inside Russia are aimed at destroying infrastructure key to Moscow's war efforts and are in response to continuous Russian strikes on Ukraine. On Thursday, the Russian military confirmed the killing of Maj.-Gen. Mikhail Gudkov, deputy head of the Russian Navy. Gudkov — who was handed a top military honour by Putin in February and appointed to the top naval post in March — was killed on Wednesday during combat work in one of the border districts of Kursk region, Russia's Defence Ministry said. Unofficial Russian and Ukrainian military Telegram channels had earlier reported that Gudkov was among several servicemen and officers killed in an attack which utilized a U.S.-made HIMARS missile. Reuters could not independently verify how Gudkov, 42, died or what he was doing in Kursk. The Associated Press with files from Reuters
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And also the ability to speak your mind and to be free about who you are and what you wanna do and what you believe in. Jenna Benchetrit (new window) · CBC News
