Russia launches largest-ever drone and missile assault on Kyiv

Russia launched its most aggressive aerial bombardment on Kyiv since the full-scale invasion began, using over 500 drones and more than a dozen missiles in a single night. This attack marked a major escalation in the war and created panic across the capital. Ukrainian air defenses managed to intercept a large number of incoming threats, but the sheer volume meant some drones and missiles broke through, causing fires, explosions, and destruction across residential areas, power grids, and civilian infrastructure. Sirens wailed for hours through the early morning as families scrambled into shelters, trying to protect themselves from debris and potential secondary blasts.

The significance of this strike lies in its timing and scale. It came just before the NATO summit and immediately after a call between the Russian and U.S. presidents. Many analysts see it as a show of strength and a warning to both Ukraine and the West. Russia seems to be signaling that it can—and will—continue to strike Ukraine’s heartland at will unless negotiations begin on its terms. For Ukraine, the attack is a harsh reminder that it still lacks enough air defense systems to protect its cities from such mass-scale bombardments. The assault has reignited calls from Kyiv for the West to urgently provide more advanced defense systems like the Patriot, as well as long-range strike weapons that could help deter or disrupt future attacks.