KYIV, UKRAINE – Russia launched a massive and sustained aerial attack on Ukraine that lasted more than 12 hours overnight, with the capital Kyiv identified as the main target. The assault prompted neighboring Poland to close its airspace near two southeastern cities and scramble its air force jets until the threat subsided.
Ukraine’s military reported that Russia fired drones and missiles, with Ukrainian air defenses successfully shooting down drones and missiles. The barrage damaged critical infrastructure, including a cardiology clinic, factories, and residential buildings, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia’s defence ministry confirmed carrying out a “massive” attack using long-range air and sea-based weapons and drones to target military infrastructure, including airfields. Moscow continues to deny targeting civilians, despite extensive damage to residential areas and the thousands killed since the war began.
Zelensky Demands Cut-Off of Russian Energy Revenues
Following the devastating strike, President Zelensky issued an urgent appeal to the international community to act decisively to cut off Russia’s energy revenues which finance the invasion.
“The time for decisive action is long overdue, and we count on a strong response from the United States, Europe, the G7, and the G20,” he posted on Telegram. Ukraine has thus far failed to convince US President Donald Trump to impose the punitive sanctions on Moscow it seeks.
The attack, which began before dawn, saw Kyiv residents awakened by loud explosions and air defenses booming overhead. The air raid alert lasted nearly seven hours, ending at a.m.
Defences Stretched and Human Cost Rises
The sheer scale of the attack has severely stretched Ukraine’s limited air defenses. Zelensky confirmed that an additional Patriot missile system from Israel had been deployed and expected two more to arrive this autumn. He and other officials continue to ask international partners for more air defence systems, which are increasingly limited in availability globally.
Local authorities reported that at least four people were killed and people were wounded across the country, including the southern city of Zaporizhzhia. Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, noted the fatalities included a 12-year-old girl, although this has not been officially confirmed.
Reuters journalists visiting a Kyiv suburb found rows of newly built homes almost totally destroyed. Residents were seen sifting through the wreckage of their homes, their windows blown in by the force of the blasts, as the country grapples with the escalating human and infrastructural cost of the war.
