Russia launched a massive aerial assault on Kyiv early Thursday, firing more than 400 drones and missiles in the second consecutive night of record-setting bombardment. The attack, which killed two people and wounded 17 others, came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the failure to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The attack was “a clear escalation of terror by Russia," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Telegram post, describing the attack as an effort to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses and paralyze the capital. Ukraine's air force reported that 382 of the 415 aerial weapons-including all ballistic and cruise missiles-were intercepted or disabled.
The strikes began shortly after midnight and involved drones flying at different altitudes from all directions, a tactic Ukraine described as a significant shift in Russian strategy. Residents reported hearing the whine of incoming drones before explosions rocked the city, setting fire to homes, vehicles, and medical facilities.
A 22-year-old police officer, Maria Dziumaha, was among the dead. "Everything there is burned down; there is nothing left of that apartment," said Nadiya Voitsehivkya, whose brother-in-law was hospitalized after being trapped under a collapsed ceiling.
The assault followed an even larger offensive the previous night, when Russia launched 728 drones and 13 missiles across Ukraine. Kyiv officials called Thursday's strike the largest simultaneous aerial attack on the city since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it was targeting military-industrial facilities and airfields, but Ukrainian officials said residential neighborhoods bore the brunt of the attack. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed a healthcare clinic was nearly destroyed and several buildings across the capital were left in ruins.
The attack occurred as diplomatic efforts continued in Asia. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' summit in Malaysia. Russia presented "a new and different approach," Rubio told reporters, while cautioning, "I don't want to overpromise."
Trump, who spoke with Putin multiple times in recent weeks, told his Cabinet on Tuesday, "We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin... He's very nice all of the time, but it turns out to be meaningless." The president vowed to increase military aid to Ukraine following the latest strikes.
Zelensky met earlier this week in Rome with Trump envoy Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg to discuss strengthening air defense and supply chains amid the intensifying Russian aerial campaign.
Meanwhile, Moscow has dismissed Trump's criticism. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday the Trump administration has been "very contradictory," and added, "Trump in general tends to use a fairly tough style and expressions."
International condemnation of Russia's actions grew after Wednesday's ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which found Moscow guilty of systemic violations of international law in Ukraine. The court concluded that Russia bears responsibility for atrocities dating back to 2014, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 that killed 298 people.
More than 70,000 Ukrainians remain missing due to the war, according to a statement from the European Parliament, which passed a resolution Wednesday condemning Russia's continued "brutal attacks on civilians."
