Russia unleashed one of its most intense air assaults of the war early Thursday, retaliating against a recent Ukrainian drone campaign that reportedly damaged key bomber aircraft at Russian military airbases. Ukrainian officials say this overnight attack, which spanned several cities, marks the heaviest barrage since the early months of the 2022 invasion.
The strikes, involving over 400 drones and at least 40 cruise and ballistic missiles, targeted multiple regions across Ukraine, including Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Chernihiv, and Lutsk.
Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted the majority of the projectiles reportedly downing over 360 drones and 30 missiles but the scale and intensity of the assault overwhelmed emergency response units in several cities.
Kyiv experienced widespread blackouts and transportation paralysis, with metro lines halted and significant damage to rail infrastructure. At least three to six people were killed, including emergency responders battling fires ignited by debris. More than 80 people were injured in the overnight bombardment.
Images from the capital showed plumes of smoke rising from high-rise buildings, shattered windows, and civilians huddled in underground shelters. Fires broke out in multiple residential neighborhoods, and authorities reported significant damage to utility infrastructure, leading to power and water outages.
This escalation comes in direct response to Ukraine’s drone campaign dubbed “Operation Spiderweb,” which struck Russian airbases earlier this week. According to Ukrainian and Western intelligence, the strikes damaged several Tu-95 strategic bombers, key assets in Russia’s long-range attack arsenal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the Ukrainian action as an “act of strategic sabotage” and reportedly warned former U.S. President Donald Trump of an impending “strong response.” Trump later echoed this message publicly, criticizing Ukraine’s decision to provoke the Kremlin and likening the war to “kids fighting over a toy.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decried Russia’s attack as a war crime and reiterated calls for Western allies to step up the supply of air defense systems and long-range weapons. “Every delay in support gives Putin more time to kill,” Zelenskyy said in a morning address from Kyiv.
He also confirmed that Ukraine had launched counterstrikes overnight, targeting Russian oil depots and infrastructure in Engels, Ryazan, and other regions. Satellite imagery confirmed large fires and damage at multiple Russian military installations.
European leaders expressed solidarity with Ukraine, with the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen condemning Russia’s actions and calling for tighter sanctions and accelerated weapons deliveries.
Despite growing international support, peace talks recently rekindled in Ankara appear to have collapsed following this latest escalation. Analysts now fear that the conflict is entering a new and more dangerous phase, with Russia signaling a shift toward the use of Tu-160 bombers, which are capable of launching long-range nuclear and conventional missiles.
As the war grinds on, civilians continue to pay the highest price. In the words of Kyiv’s Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, “This is not a war between armies this is a war against humanity.”
