Key facts
- Russia launched a massive air assault across Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles.
- The attack involved 729 assets, including eight Zircon hypersonic missiles, 33 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and 27 cruise missiles.
- At least 23 people were killed and over 130 injured in the Russian attacks across Ukraine.
- Residential buildings and vehicles were struck in cities including Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv.
- A first responder, Anton Yarmolenko, was killed in a follow-up strike in Dnipro.
- The death toll in Kyiv rose to 18, with 12 fatalities reported in Dnipro.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated the need for additional Patriot missile interceptors.
- A Ukrainian drone strike killed seven people on a bus in Russian-controlled Donetsk.
- Ukrainian drone attacks in Crimea resulted in four deaths and several injuries.
- A child was killed and 11 people were injured in a drone attack in Russian-held Kherson.
Russia conducted a large-scale air assault across Ukraine, deploying hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, including eight Zircon hypersonic missiles, 33 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and 27 cruise missiles. The total number of assets used in the attack reached 729. The widespread attacks targeted multiple Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv, resulting in at least 23 deaths and over 130 injuries. Residential buildings and vehicles were struck in these cities. In Dnipro, a follow-up strike killed a first responder, Anton Yarmolenko, who was assisting victims of an initial attack. The death toll in Kyiv alone rose to 18, with 12 fatalities reported in Dnipro. Rescuers were searching for survivors in Kyiv following the assault. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously warned of potential strikes and reiterated the urgent need for additional Patriot missile interceptors from the United States. Analysts suggest Russia is intensifying air attacks on Ukrainian cities to compensate for stalled battlefield advances and stiffer resistance, aiming to break Ukraine's will to fight and mask Moscow's weaknesses, as gains have significantly slowed compared to the previous year.
In parallel, Ukrainian drone attacks have targeted Russian-occupied territories. A drone strike in Russian-controlled Donetsk killed seven people and wounded 11 on a bus traveling between Moscow and Simferopol. Denis Pushilin, the Kremlin-installed head of the region, reported the incident, and Russia has opened a criminal investigation. In Crimea, Ukrainian drone attacks resulted in four deaths and several injuries. Three people died and seven were injured in Simferopol, while one person was killed and three injured by a drone strike on a commuter train in eastern Crimea. Over 20 drones were intercepted over Sevastopol. Another drone attack in the Russian-held Kherson region killed a child and injured 11 people, according to a Russian-appointed official. Ukraine also claims it can strike all Russian military logistics in occupied territories and has hit 15 oil refineries between January and May. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has released estimates of substantial Russian forces' losses, though these figures are unverified. Ukrainian media claims Russia possesses over 200 "Zircon" missiles.