August M
Russia carried out its most intense drone offensive against Ukraine since the start of the war, targeting Kyiv and multiple other regions with hundreds of aerial strikes over two days, Ukrainian officials said.
The attacks caused deaths, widespread destruction, and power disruptions, while Ukrainian leaders accused Moscow of escalating the conflict despite ongoing international peace efforts, reports Reuters.
Massive assault
According to Reuters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia launched more than 1,560 drones since Wednesday, including over 670 attack drones and 56 missiles overnight into Thursday.
Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting 652 drones and 41 missiles during the latest wave of strikes.
“These are definitely not the actions of those who believe the war is coming to an end,” Zelenskiy said.
Reuters reported that Russia has not immediately commented on the attacks. The strikes came days after President Vladimir Putin suggested he believed the war was nearing its conclusion.
Kyiv hit hard
Kyiv was the main focus of the overnight bombardment, according to Zelenskiy, with damage reported at around 20 locations across the capital and surrounding areas.
Officials said at least three people were killed and about 40 injured, including two children.
Reuters journalists at one strike site saw emergency workers cutting through piles of concrete after part of a nine-story residential building collapsed following a drone impact.
“There were people there, children. What happened to them? You have to understand, an entire building collapsed,” pensioner Alla Komisarova told Reuters near the destroyed building.
Kyiv mayor Vitalii Klitschko warned that additional victims could still be trapped under the rubble.
Infrastructure damage
The attacks also disrupted water and electricity supplies in several parts of Ukraine.
Klitschko said generators were being activated to restore water services in Kyiv, while Ukraine’s energy ministry reported electricity outages in 11 regions.
According to Reuters, Russian strikes also targeted energy facilities in Kremenchuk, railway infrastructure and port facilities in the southern Odesa region.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the scale of the assault demonstrated that Moscow remained committed to continuing the war despite diplomatic pressure from Washington.
“There should be no illusions or wishful thinking: only pressure on Moscow can force him to stop,” Sybiha wrote on X, according to Reuters.
Fighting continues across more than 1,200 kilometres of frontline territory as US-backed peace initiatives struggle to produce major breakthroughs.
Sources: Reuters
