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Open Chronicle | with Agencies
Kyiv — Russia carried out its deadliest aerial assault of the year on Ukraine, killing at least 16 people, including a 12-year-old child, in a large-scale overnight attack involving hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles, Ukrainian officials said.
The strike underscores a sharp escalation in the air war, as both sides intensify long-range attacks amid shifting geopolitical and economic pressures.
Massive Drone and Missile Barrage
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reported that nearly 700 drones and 19 ballistic missiles were launched across multiple regions, making it one of the largest coordinated aerial attacks in the conflict to date.
Air defense systems intercepted a significant portion of the incoming threats, with Ukrainian forces claiming to have downed hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. Despite this, several strikes penetrated defenses and caused widespread destruction.
Civilian Toll Across Key Cities
The capital, Kyiv, was among the hardest hit. Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed four fatalities in the city, including a child, after a drone struck a high-rise residential building.
In the southern port city of Odesa, nine people were killed, while two more fatalities were reported in Dnipro, where residential areas were also targeted.
Further east and south, cities such as Mykolaiv and Kherson experienced power outages following strikes on energy infrastructure, highlighting the continued vulnerability of Ukraine’s critical systems.
Zelenskyy Calls for Increased Pressure
Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack and urged international partners to intensify pressure on Moscow.
“Russia is betting on war,” he said, calling for stronger sanctions and sustained military support to defend civilian lives and infrastructure.
His remarks come as Kyiv continues to rely heavily on Western assistance to counter ongoing aerial and ground offensives.
Sanctions and Energy Dynamics
The attack coincides with a shift in U.S. policy on Russian energy. The United States Department of the Treasury recently allowed a sanctions waiver on certain Russian oil sales to expire, signaling a tightening of economic pressure.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that the waiver would not be renewed, a move that could impact global energy markets already strained by conflict in the Middle East.
At the same time, Ukraine has stepped up its own long-range strikes on Russian oil and gas infrastructure, aiming to reduce Moscow’s revenue streams.
A War of Escalation
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted more than 200 Ukrainian drones overnight, reflecting the intensifying exchange of long-range attacks between the two sides.
The latest barrage highlights a broader trend in the war, where both nations are increasingly relying on drones and missile systems to strike deep behind front lines.
A Conflict With No Immediate End
As the war enters another phase of escalation, the humanitarian toll continues to mount. Civilian areas remain exposed, infrastructure is repeatedly targeted, and diplomatic efforts show little sign of immediate progress.
For Ukraine, the latest assault reinforces the urgency of international support. For the wider world, it serves as a reminder that the conflict remains volatile, with consequences that extend far beyond the battlefield.