Russia carried out its most devastating aerial attack of the year on Ukraine, targeting multiple cities with nearly 700 drones and 19 ballistic missiles. The assault resulted in the deaths of 16 civilians, including a 12-year-old child, with Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, and Kherson being among the hardest hit. Kyiv's mayor reported significant damage, including a drone crashing into an 18-story building, while Ukraine’s southeastern cities suffered power outages due to attacks on energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian officials and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, with Zelenskyy insisting that Russia should not receive sanctions relief and calling for increased international pressure. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military claimed to have intercepted over 600 drones and dozens of missiles amid ongoing hostilities. The escalation comes at a critical time, with shifts in U.S. sanctions policy and Ukraine intensifying efforts to target Russia’s energy assets to counteract profits from higher global crude prices.