Just hours after US President Donald Trump spoke directly with Vladimir Putin, Russia launched a ferocious overnight assault on Ukraine, unleashing its largest aerial bombardment since the war began. Kyiv, the capital city, bore the brunt of the blitz, with missiles and drones crashing through the night sky.
Sirens howled. Drones buzzed like angry hornets. And for hours, the city echoed with explosions and relentless machine-gun fire as Ukrainian air defences fought to repel the onslaught.
According to Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, 23 people were injured in the attack, 14 of whom were hospitalised. Several buildings across the capital were damaged or left smouldering from falling debris.
Russia claims it fired a staggering 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine in one night, an onslaught even more intense than the previous record-breaking barrage launched less than a week ago. That earlier assault involved 537 drones, decoys, and 60 missiles.
This latest attack saw Ukrainian forces intercept 270 targets, including two cruise missiles. But in a worrying twist, another 208 targets disappeared from radar, likely jammed by Russian tech. Still, Moscow managed to strike eight locations successfully using nine missiles and 63 drones, with debris scattered across at least 33 sites.
And all of this comes in the shadow of that controversial phone call.
The timing couldn’t be more ominous: the Russian barrage began just hours after Trump publicly acknowledged the conversation with Putin. It was also the same day he commented on the US decision to pause certain weapon shipments to Ukraine, including Patriot systems, AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles, and short-range Stinger missiles, all critical tools in Ukraine’s defence against exactly this kind of aerial assault.
Whether it’s coincidence or calculated response, the message from Moscow is loud and clear: Russia is doubling down.
