Russia launched a massive overnight assault on Ukraine, firing 215 missiles and drones on multiple cities between Friday night and early Saturday. According to Ukrainian officials, at least five people were killed and over 20 injured in what has been described as one of the heaviest attacks in recent months.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that air defense systems intercepted and neutralized 87 drones and seven missiles. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov called the attack on his city “the most powerful” since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
He stated that 48 Iranian-made drones, two missiles, and four guided bombs were launched at the city, home to around 1.4 million residents. Residential buildings and civilian infrastructure suffered significant damage.
“Drones are still circling above,” Terekhov wrote on Telegram at 4:40 a.m., as air raid sirens blared across the city.
Kherson, Dnipro, and Lutsk Also Targeted
In the southern city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed a couple and damaged several residential buildings, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin confirmed. In Dnipro, two women — aged 45 and 88 — were injured in separate attacks.
Meanwhile, rescue workers in Lutsk recovered another body on Saturday, raising the death toll from Friday’s air raids to seven. On Friday alone, six people were reported killed and dozens injured in Russian airstrikes across the country.
Russian Strikes a Response to Ukrainian Drone Raids
Moscow claims that the recent attacks were in retaliation for Ukrainian “terrorist acts” — referring to last weekend’s drone strikes deep inside Russian territory, which reportedly damaged nuclear-capable military aircraft at airbases, including in Siberia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed a forceful response, declaring that the war is now a matter of national survival.
Disagreement Over Ceasefire
Ukraine recently proposed a 30-day ceasefire during peace talks held in Istanbul. However, Russia rejected the offer outright. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday, “For us, it is an existential issue. It concerns our national interest, our safety, and the future of our country.”
Putin has laid out several non-negotiable conditions for ending the war: Ukraine must withdraw from four partially occupied regions, abandon its NATO ambitions, and halt all military cooperation with the West. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called these terms unacceptable and instead proposed a three-way summit involving himself, Putin, and former U.S. President Donald Trump.
