Russia has unleashed its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began over three years ago, firing 728 drones and 13 missiles, the Ukrainian air force reported on Saturday. The unprecedented barrage surpassed last week’s previous record of 550 aerial threats.
Ukraine’s air defences intercepted 711 drones and destroyed seven missiles, officials said, while the assault left at least one civilian dead in the western Khmelnytskyi region, close to the border with Poland, a NATO and EU member.
According to Russian state media, the attack targeted a military airfield in western Ukraine, though Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the specific sites hit.
The attack occurred just days after former US President Donald Trump vowed to accelerate arms deliveries to Ukraine and dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent comments on Ukraine as “bullshit.”
Explosions echoed across Kyiv during the night as drones buzzed overhead and air raid sirens blared. Local authorities urged residents to remain in shelters.
“This is a deliberate and calculated escalation,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in Rome for high-level meetings with the Pope and the Italian president. “At a time when global efforts are focused on peace and ceasefire negotiations, Russia continues to reject all diplomatic solutions and escalates the war.”
Zelensky reiterated his call for Ukraine’s allies to tighten sanctions on Russia, particularly targeting its energy sector, which he described as the key funding source for Moscow’s war machine.
“Our partners understand how to exert the necessary pressure to force Russia toward peace — not to embolden it to launch more attacks,” he added.
Ukrainian officials have also accused China of supplying components essential to Russia’s drone and missile production. They have called on the West to impose secondary sanctions on entities helping to fuel Moscow’s military operations indirectly.
The record-setting assault highlights a dangerous turn in the conflict, even as international efforts continue to push for de-escalation and diplomatic resolution
