Kyiv suffered a morning-long, 13-hour, ground- and drone-sustained attack. Because of that, this attack marks one of the worst since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This horrible attack led to one confirmed death so far, plus at least 23 other people injured. People from across the state took to their shelters and sought refuge from the storm’s fury. As air raid sirens echoed across the capital, they overflowed into subway stations and underground parking garages.
This latest escalation comes as Ukraine receives $17.6 billion in new military aid from the United States. This support has been the single most consistent source of support since the start of the conflict. The U.S. has supplied Ukraine with essential military resources, including air defense systems, drones, rocket launchers, radars, tanks, and anti-armor weapons. Even with this aid, the recent drone strikes highlight that Russian forces still continue to threaten with their attacks.
Separating the drone attacks from the missiles, during the month-long aerial assault on Kyiv, Russian forces used hundreds of missiles and drones. Ukraine’s air force claimed to have shot down 476 of a record 539 drones Russia launched on one night. There was a worrisome piece of intel Ukraine’s commander of Unmanned Systems Forces provided. Intelligence assessments suggest that Russia could launch over 1,000 long-range drones in a single day.
The consequent effect of this drone attack was devastating. In addition to inflicting casualties, the assault caused significant damage to Kyiv’s infrastructure, including the destruction of part of the city’s railway and damage to five ambulances responding to emergency calls from the injured. It was subsequently confirmed that the Polish consulate in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv had been damaged amid this crossfire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky labeled the incident as “one of the most massive air attacks” that Ukraine has experienced to date. He warned about the seriousness of the crisis. He highlighted a truly concerning trend. Air raid sirens began sounding throughout Ukraine only moments before the media confirmed a historic phone call between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“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. Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror.” – Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attack as “absolutely horrible.” He stressed that it was one of the worst nights Kyiv has experienced since Russia invaded. Environmental issues exploded following the attack. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources noted that air pollution in Kyiv has reached a level considered “high.”
Against this background, the responses of Ukrainian officials and analysts reflect an increasing alarm about what they perceive as a rising tide against continued international support. Yuriy went on to detail his frustrations with what seemed like direct ties from Trump’s discussions with Putin to Russia’s growing aggressiveness.
“This attack happened immediately after Putin’s conversation with Trump, and it confirms that Trump is a scoundrel, just like the fact that the US wants to stop aid deliveries and he is not helping in any way during his presidency.” – Yuriy
Urban Institute analyst Yulia Ryzhkova pointed out as a key cause a worrisome pattern between the calls at the high level and the violence to come. She concluded that this trend highlights Russia’s commitment to continue and operate with impunity.
“Everyone knows that Putin has the mentality of a thug. He only understands power, and unfortunately, Trump is not demonstrating that power. Russia feels it can act with impunity and knows that it will not suffer any consequences for its actions. This is terror, pure and simple.” – Yulia Ryzhkova
While Ukrainian fighters bravely hold the line against these unyielding attacks, the outcry for increased international aid has never been louder. Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s Foreign Minister, urged the immediate replenishment of anti-aircraft ammunition stocks for Ukraine. He was a top advocate for tough new sanctions against Russia.
“We must restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine and impose tough new sanctions on the aggressor.” – Radoslaw Sikorski
