Russia’s largest air strike yet: Devastating toll in Ukrainian cities

In a startling escalation of the ongoing conflict, Russia intensified its drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, resulting in at least 30 fatalities and over 160 injuries across major Ukrainian cities. This attack, occurring on Friday, is reported to be one of the largest aerial assaults since the war’s commencement in February of the previous year.

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the magnitude of the attack, stating, “Today Russia hit us with almost everything it has in its arsenal.” The major cities of Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia were targeted, with Russia deploying its S-300 missile system, cruise missiles, and UAVs.

“Strategic bombers launched X-101/X-505. Approximately 110 missiles were fired, most of which were shot down,” Zelensky wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Despite the severe setback, Zelensky vowed to respond to these “terrorists’ blows” and ensure the safety of the nation.

Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk described the attack as the most massive aerial assault since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Russian military’s objective seems to be to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses, launching successive waves of Shahed attack drones across key cities.

This latest assault surpasses the previous largest attack in November 2022, when Moscow launched 96 missiles, followed by another major strike in March this year, with 81 missiles. The timing of these attacks is significant, coming days after Ukraine struck a Russian warship in the occupied Crimean port of Feodosia, marking a major setback for the Russian navy.