Russia launched its largest-ever drone and missile attack on Ukraine overnight on Friday just hours after a telephone call between US and Russian presidents ended without any breakthrough. AFP journalists in the capital heard drones buzzing over Kyiv and explosions ringing out as Ukrainian air defence systems fended off the attack.
President Donald Trump said he had made no progress with Vladimir Putin on ending the war in a call, as the Kremlin insisted Russia would pursue its war aims. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the air alerts had begun echoing out across the country as reports of the presidents' call emerged.
"Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror," Zelensky said on social media. "All of this is clear evidence that without truly large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behaviour," he added, urging the United States in particular to ramp up pressure on Moscow. He said that 23 people were wounded in the Russian barrage that the air force said included 539 Russian drones of various types and 11 missiles.
A representative of Ukraine's air force told Ukrainian media that the attack was the largest of the Russian invasion.
Overnight Russia attacks have escalated over recent weeks. An AFP tally shows Moscow launched a record number of drones and missiles at Ukraine in June, as direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow appeared to stall. "Putin clearly shows his complete disregard for the United States and everyone who has called for an end to the war," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media after the attack.
In Kyiv, AFP journalists saw dozens of residents of the capital taking shelter in a metro station. Russian attacks escalated as concerns mount in Kyiv over continued delivery of US military aid, which is key to Ukraine's ability to fend off the drone and missile barrages.
The US announced this week that it was reducing some deliveries of military aid to Ukraine, in what EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said was a clear signal that the bloc needed to "step up". Trump's view of the call with Putin was unusually bleak. After most of his previous five calls with Putin since returning to power in January he has given optimistic reports of progress towards a deal. But he has shown increasing frustration with Putin after an early pivot towards the Russian leader.
Ukraine has also ramped up its drone strikes in Russia, where a woman was killed when a Ukrainian drone crashed into an apartment building, the region's acting governor said.
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