Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and other cities endured a massive assault on Sunday as Russia launched nearly 600 drones and dozens of missiles. This hours-long attack tragically killed at least four people in Kyiv and left dozens more injured across the nation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as “a massive Russian assault on Ukraine lasting for more than 12 hours,” condemning it as “savage strikes, a deliberate, targeted terror against ordinary cities.”
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the extensive bombardment began Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and persisted through Sunday morning. They reported that close to 600 drones and 48 missiles were deployed, with five missiles and 31 drones successfully bypassing air defenses.
Officials in Ukraine confirmed that over 70 individuals sustained injuries nationwide, among them two rescue workers. They cautioned that the casualty figures could increase, as 1,500 emergency personnel and law enforcement officers were dispatched across 11 regions to aid the wounded and locate potential survivors.
President Zelensky pledged retaliation for the recent attacks and called upon Ukraine’s allies to intensify their efforts in pressuring Russia for an immediate cease-fire.
He highlighted the timing of the assault, stating, “This vile attack came virtually as the close of U.N. General Assembly week, and this is exactly how Russia declares its true position.”
Just last week, during the annual United Nations gathering in New York, President Zelensky had appealed to global leaders, warning that Russia’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine has ignited “the most destructive arms race in human history” and that its violence threatens to spill beyond his country’s borders.
Authorities confirmed that Kyiv, the capital, was the main focus of Sunday’s assault, with a 12-year-old girl tragically confirmed among the fatalities. Significant damage was reported to Ukraine’s Cardiology Institute, an industrial bakery, a tire manufacturing plant, and numerous residential properties.
In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, Russian rocket attacks wounded at least 38 people and damaged a minimum of 14 apartment buildings, according to Ukrainian officials. Similar strikes were also recorded in Sumy, Odesa, and other regions.
Since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia’s aerial campaigns have systematically devastated Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, military production sites, crucial railway hubs, and other essential facilities. Military analysts interpret these attacks, which have also targeted residential areas, as a deliberate strategy to erode Ukraine’s resolve to continue fighting.
While the Russian military failed to achieve any significant breakthroughs on the front in recent months, Moscow has escalated its bombing campaigns, seemingly aiming to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.
Russia’s increasing reliance on attack drones in its offensives is evident, with a significant boost in their domestic production and manufacturing. In response, Ukraine has also intensified its long-range strikes within Russian territory.
However, the rapid expansion of Russia’s drone arsenal, combined with advanced technology and evolving tactics, presents a formidable challenge for Ukraine. Early in the conflict, Ukraine held a notable advantage in drone warfare, but Moscow has progressively diminished this edge.
This escalating threat has underscored the urgent need for effective countermeasures. Last week in Kyiv, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s top military commander, announced the establishment of a new Air Force branch dedicated to unmanned air-defense systems, specifically designed to combat this rising danger.
General Syrsky detailed efforts to equip helicopters with specialized gear for drone targeting and mentioned trials involving light aircraft fitted with machine-gun mounts.
Concurrently, Ukraine remains dependent on its Western partners for advanced air-defense systems capable of protecting against Russia’s most potent ballistic missile threats.
On Saturday, President Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine recently acquired a Patriot system from Israel, with two more expected by fall. He did not disclose the origin of these additional systems.
The American-made Patriot missile system is globally recognized as one of the few reliable interceptors of ballistic missiles, a capability Ukrainian officials laud for saving countless lives.
Hours preceding the recent bombardment, President Zelensky reiterated his warning about the Kremlin’s expansive ambitions, noting that recent incursions by Russian drones and fighter jets into NATO airspace represent a direct challenge to the alliance.
On social media, President Zelensky asserted that “Russia is testing Europe’s ability to defend itself and trying to influence societies so that people start thinking: ‘Why are we giving so much to Ukrainians, but we can’t protect ourselves?’” He concluded that this strategy aims “to reduce aid to Ukraine, especially before winter.”