Russia Launches Largest Drone Barrage on Ukraine, Trump Slams Attack as ‘Waste of Humanity’
Russia launched its most massive aerial assault on Ukraine overnight, deploying 805 drones and 13 missiles that set ablaze a key government building in central Kyiv and claimed at least four lives, including that of an infant. The strike, which Ukrainian officials described as the biggest since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, targeted multiple regions and underscored the persistent volatility in the region despite international calls for peace.
Ukrainian air defenses managed to intercept 751 drones and four missiles, but the barrage still inflicted widespread damage across the north, south, and east of the country. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as a “deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war,” emphasizing that such violence persists even as diplomatic efforts could have taken root. In a post on X, he renewed pleas for allies to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, stating, “Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have already begun long ago, are a deliberate crime.” The assault struck cities including Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, as well as the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, with explosions also reported in Kremenchuk, where a bridge over the Dnipro River was damaged and power outages affected residents.
For the first time in the war, the attack damaged Kyiv’s main government building in the historic Pecherskyi district, a heavily fortified area housing the Cabinet of Ministers. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko called it a symbolic blow, noting that the roof and upper floors were hit, with firefighters battling flames as thick smoke billowed into the morning sky. Witnesses described a scene of chaos, with air raid alerts blaring for over 11 hours in the capital and surrounding areas. In Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, rescuers pulled the body of an infant from the rubble of a damaged four-storey apartment building, while a young woman was also killed in the strike. The interior ministry reported over 20 injuries in the capital alone, bringing the nationwide toll to at least four dead and 44 wounded.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed the strikes targeted Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and transport infrastructure, denying any intent to hit civilians, according to state news agency TASS. In retaliation, Ukraine’s military reported striking the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk region, causing significant fire damage. The assault comes amid stalled peace talks, with European leaders like Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticizing delays in responding to Russian aggression. Tusk posted on X that the strike “shows again that the continued delaying of a strong reaction against Putin and the attempts to appease him made no sense.”
US President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for negotiations, reacted sharply to the bombardment, calling it a “horrible waste of humanity” during a press interaction. He expressed optimism about resolving the conflict but signaled readiness to escalate pressure on Moscow. “I’m not happy. I’m not happy about the whole situation… but I believe we’re going to get it settled,” Trump said, adding that he is prepared to move to a second phase of sanctions against Russia. This marks his strongest indication yet of potential tougher measures, including penalties on Russian oil buyers, as frustration mounts over President Vladimir Putin’s reluctance to engage in talks.
The attack follows a pattern of intensified Russian operations, even as Zelensky has urged Trump to impose punishing sanctions to force a ceasefire. Analysts suggest the barrage may be Moscow’s way of testing international resolve, particularly as Western allies consider deploying troops as a post-conflict reassurance force. For ordinary Ukrainians, the strikes serve as a grim reminder of the war’s unrelenting toll, with one Kyiv resident, Olga, telling reporters near a damaged building, “This is already routine for us, unfortunately.”
