Ukraine Hit by 600 Drones and 50 Missiles in Russian Assault

Russia launched one of its most aggressive aerial assaults on Ukraine since the war began, firing 595 drones and 48 missiles in a relentless overnight barrage that left at least four dead and 67 wounded across the country.

The main target was Kyiv, where civilians awoke to more than 12 hours of continuous explosions, drone flyovers, and air defense batteries booming through the morning. Authorities say this was among the most intense attacks on the capital to date.

Ukraine’s air defense forces successfully shot down 568 drones and 43 missiles, according to official figures a remarkable feat, but not enough to prevent destruction and loss of life. Among the dead was reportedly a 12-year-old girl, though this remains unconfirmed by officials.

“This wasn’t just an attack on infrastructure it was psychological warfare,” said Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration.

Key damage reports include:

• A cardiology clinic in Kyiv damaged

• Residential buildings and parked vehicles crushed by falling debris

• Factories and power infrastructure hit in multiple regions

• At least 16 injuries reported in Zaporizhzhia

The scenes were harrowing: shattered homes, flattened cars, blown-out windows. Civilians fled to underground metro stations for safety, clinging to news updates on their phones as missiles rained down.

Poland, a neighboring NATO member, scrambled fighter jets and briefly closed airspace over two cities in its southeast region, responding to the spillover threat a dangerous reminder of just how easily this war could trigger a broader European conflict.

Russia’s defense ministry claimed the massive strike was aimed at Ukrainian military infrastructure, including airfields, but conveniently ignored the fact that homes, hospitals, and civilians were once again caught in the crossfire.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the attack to reiterate his demands for Western support, saying the time for half-measures and diplomatic dancing is over:

“We count on a strong response from the United States, Europe, the G7, and the G20,” Zelensky said.

He specifically called for tougher sanctions on Russian energy exports the same lifeline that continues to fuel Moscow’s war machine while Western leaders talk in circles.

But the elephant in the room remains: where is the American leadership?

Thus far, President Trump has resisted pressure to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia’s energy sector a key source of income for Putin’s military ambitions. The Biden-era failures have already left Ukraine under-supplied and overexposed. And now, even with Trump back in office, the White House’s response has been measured at best.

Ukrainian officials say a Patriot missile system from Israel was deployed on Saturday, with two more expected this fall. But it’s a race against time Ukraine’s defenses are already stretched thin across multiple fronts.

The global hesitation to act decisively is now having real-world consequences:

• Russia continues to escalate without consequence

• Civilian deaths mount in Ukraine

• NATO allies face growing risk of direct confrontation

While Western leaders shuffle papers and hold press conferences, the people of Ukraine are digging through rubble and burying their dead.

If this weekend’s brutal assault proves anything, it’s this: Russia is not slowing down. And unless the West finds its spine, this war will not just continue it will grow.

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