'A Serious Escalation': Putin Launches Russia's Largest Aerial Assault on Ukraine Since 2022
Support our mission to provide fearless stories about and outside the media system
Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Russia launched a record aerial assault on Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday. 805 large strike drones and 13 missiles were launched. Ukrainian air defences intercepted 747 of the incoming projectiles. At least 11 people were killed and 75 injured across Ukraine, but rescue operations are still ongoing, and those numbers could change.
Strikes hit at least eight regions across the country and targeted multiple cities.
For the first time since February 2022, a Government building was hit in Kyiv. In the capital, five people were killed, among them a 32-year-old mother and her three-month-old son. A local resident described what happened when the missile tore through their high-rise: "A woman and a child flew out from the 6th floor, apparently through the 5th, together with the stove."
Twenty more were injured in Kyiv. A pregnant woman wounded in the attack was forced into premature labour, giving birth to a son. Both remain in serious condition.
In Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, Dnipro, civilians were killed and injured, said President Zelensky in his evening address. In Kremenchuk, a railroad bridge was destroyed. He called on allies to impose stronger sanctions and urged partners to cut Russia's oil and gas revenues, which he said continue to finance Moscow's "war machine."
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described the attacks as a "serious escalation," stating, "Russia is intensifying its terror against Ukraine, and this requires a tough response from our allies. For the first time, over 800 drones and missiles in one night…
"The greatest cynicism is that these brutal attacks are occurring at a time when President Trump is making every effort to achieve peace. But instead of responding to these efforts and agreeing to a leaders' meeting, Putin is rejecting diplomacy and increasing terror. Only pressure on Moscow can stop the escalation of terror. The Russian war machine is sustained by revenues from oil and gas. We call on our allies to cut off this funding in order to end the war."
Russia Sanctions Byline Times Journalists and Contributors for Exposing Putin's War Crimes
The Russian foreign ministry added multiple Byline Times and Byline TV contributors to its "stop list" following our award-winning investigations into the Putin regime
Adam Bienkov
International Leaders Condemn the Attacks
President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the need for stronger defensive measures, stating, "Together with France, we are preparing new measures to strengthen our defences." French President Emmanuel Macron stated, "Russia, meanwhile, is locking itself ever deeper into the logic of war and terror."
Other European leaders also swiftly condemned the attacks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remarked that once again, the Kremlin was mocking diplomacy, trampling international law and killing indiscriminately.
The head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, tweeted: "To talk about peace while bombing residential buildings shows what 'peace' means for Putin."
Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda called the strikes a "blatant violation of international law." Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson urged the EU's next sanctions package to more deeply target Russia's military economy.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attacks as "cowardly," stating that they showed Putin "is not serious about peace."
In Washington, US President Donald Trump expressed readiness to impose new sanctions, stating he was "not thrilled" with Moscow's actions and would speak to Putin "very soon." US envoy Keith Kellogg wrote that Russia has no intention of ending the war diplomatically. The US Treasury said it is working with European allies on new sanctions, including measures targeting countries that continue to buy Russian oil.
Contin...
Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Russia launched a record aerial assault on Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday. 805 large strike drones and 13 missiles were launched. Ukrainian air defences intercepted 747 of the incoming projectiles. At least 11 people were killed and 75 injured across Ukraine, but rescue operations are still ongoing, and those numbers could change.
Strikes hit at least eight regions across the country and targeted multiple cities.
For the first time since February 2022, a Government building was hit in Kyiv. In the capital, five people were killed, among them a 32-year-old mother and her three-month-old son. A local resident described what happened when the missile tore through their high-rise: "A woman and a child flew out from the 6th floor, apparently through the 5th, together with the stove."
Twenty more were injured in Kyiv. A pregnant woman wounded in the attack was forced into premature labour, giving birth to a son. Both remain in serious condition.
In Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, Dnipro, civilians were killed and injured, said President Zelensky in his evening address. In Kremenchuk, a railroad bridge was destroyed. He called on allies to impose stronger sanctions and urged partners to cut Russia's oil and gas revenues, which he said continue to finance Moscow's "war machine."
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described the attacks as a "serious escalation," stating, "Russia is intensifying its terror against Ukraine, and this requires a tough response from our allies. For the first time, over 800 drones and missiles in one night…
"The greatest cynicism is that these brutal attacks are occurring at a time when President Trump is making every effort to achieve peace. But instead of responding to these efforts and agreeing to a leaders' meeting, Putin is rejecting diplomacy and increasing terror. Only pressure on Moscow can stop the escalation of terror. The Russian war machine is sustained by revenues from oil and gas. We call on our allies to cut off this funding in order to end the war."
Russia Sanctions Byline Times Journalists and Contributors for Exposing Putin's War Crimes
The Russian foreign ministry added multiple Byline Times and Byline TV contributors to its "stop list" following our award-winning investigations into the Putin regime
Adam Bienkov
International Leaders Condemn the Attacks
President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the need for stronger defensive measures, stating, "Together with France, we are preparing new measures to strengthen our defences." French President Emmanuel Macron stated, "Russia, meanwhile, is locking itself ever deeper into the logic of war and terror."
Other European leaders also swiftly condemned the attacks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remarked that once again, the Kremlin was mocking diplomacy, trampling international law and killing indiscriminately.
The head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, tweeted: "To talk about peace while bombing residential buildings shows what 'peace' means for Putin."
Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda called the strikes a "blatant violation of international law." Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson urged the EU's next sanctions package to more deeply target Russia's military economy.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attacks as "cowardly," stating that they showed Putin "is not serious about peace."
In Washington, US President Donald Trump expressed readiness to impose new sanctions, stating he was "not thrilled" with Moscow's actions and would speak to Putin "very soon." US envoy Keith Kellogg wrote that Russia has no intention of ending the war diplomatically. The US Treasury said it is working with European allies on new sanctions, including measures targeting countries that continue to buy Russian oil.
Contin...
Activity