Ukraine updates: Russia attacks with 550 drones, missiles – DW – 07/04/2025
The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched an attack across Ukraine with 550 drones and missiles.
The attack came after a US announcement this week that a batch of arms shipments to Ukraine would be paused.
President Donald Trump said his predecessor, Joe Biden, "emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was hoping to discuss the issue with Trump on Friday.Ukraine's air force said Russia's overnight aerial bombardment involved 550 missiles and drones.
Russia launched 539 drones and 11 missiles, the air force said, adding that air defence units had downed 268 drones and two missiles.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said the attack was timed to follow the latest phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin.
"Right after Putin spoke with President Trump. And he does it on purpose. Enough of waiting! Putin clearly shows his complete disregard for the United States and everyone who has called for an end to the war," Sybiga wrote on social media.
Hours after a phone call with Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump said he did not think his Russian counterpart would stop the war in Ukraine.
"I'm very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don't think he's there, and I'm very disappointed," Trump told reporters in Washington.
"I'm just saying I don't think he's looking to stop (the war), and that's too bad."
The phone call on Thursday was the sixth publicly disclosed chat between themsince Trump's return to the White House.
He had said earlier their call resulted in "no progress at all." The Kremlin, meanwhile, said their conversation was "frank and contructive," and that Russia would keep pursuing its goals in Ukraine.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Kyiv came under heavy drone attack overnight, with Russian forces striking at least 13 locations across the Ukrainian capital.
Ukraine's air defenses were active for hours and explosions echoed across the city.
At least 14 people were injured, 12 of them hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Officials say residential areas were targeted, with fires breaking out in at least two districts.
The Ukrainian Air Force reports that the Russian military launched at least one Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missile. They also fired ballistic missiles in two waves at targets in Kyiv and nearby areas.
President Donald Trump says the US gave Ukraine too many weapons under President Joe Biden, claiming the country has "emptied out" its own supply.
"We're giving weapons, but we've given so many weapons. But we are giving weapons. And we're working with them and trying to help them, but we haven't. You know, Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves," he said.
Trump's statement comes after a pause in some weapons shipments, including Patriot missiles and precision-guided artillery, to Ukraine as Russia steps up its offensive.
The halt caught Kyiv off guard. Ukrainian leaders summoned the acting US envoy on Wednesday, warning that the delay could weaken their defenses.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he hopes to speak with Trump in the coming days to clarify the situation.
"I hope that maybe tomorrow, or close days, these days, I will speak about it with President Trump," he said on Thursday.
The Pentagon has not said when full deliveries might resume..
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Overnight, Kyiv came under a sustained drone attack, with explosions reported across the city.
This comes even as Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is open to further talks with Ukraine. He told US President Donald Trump this during an hourlong phone discussion on Thursday.
The US president said the conversation didn't lead to any breakthroughs. Putin was adamant that Moscow would not "give up" on its goals in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is hoping to speak with Trump on Friday, particularly about the recent pause in some US weapons shipments to Ukraine.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
an hour ago
- DW
Ukraine hits Russian airfield day after mass wave of strikes – DW – 07/05/2025
The Ukrainian military said it hit the Borisoglebsk airfield, home to several Russian military aircraft. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin. DW has more. The Ukrainian military has said it struck a Russian military air base, claiming it hit a glide bomb store. The attack comes after Ukraine said it recorded the largest number of drones launched by Russia on Friday. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Ukraine would need more Patriot missiles after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on UK Defense Ministry's daily intelligence update said Russia had confirmed the death of Mikhail Gudkov, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy. Gudkov was killed in a Ukrainian strike on March 28. The update said Gudkov was the second senior Russian general to be killed this year, and the 16th since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. "The loss of so many high-ranking officers is likely to have had the effect of undermining command and control in parts of the Russian Armed Forces," the UK Defense Ministry said. "This has likely contributed to Russian tactical and operational difficulties during the conflict." The Russian strikes on Friday came after a call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin after which the US President said he was "very unhappy." Trump later held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday evening, which appeared to have a more positive result. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the call with Zelenskyy had been good. "We spoke about opportunities in air defense and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies," Zelenskyy said on social media after the call. Regarding his call with Putin, Trump hinted at the possibility of further US sanctions against Russia. "We talk about sanctions a lot," Trump said. "He understands that it may be coming." Trump said he would quickly end the war after coming into office, initially showing a closeness to Putin that marked a dramatic change from the previous White House administration. However, Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with Putin. Whether this will translate to more support for Ukraine remains to be seen. The Ukrainian military said on Saturday that it had hit the Borisoglebsk airfield in the Voronezh region. According to Kyiv, the base contained Russian Sukhoi Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM military jets. They said they hit a glide bomb depot and training aircraft, as well as other machines. This could not be independently verified. "The defense forces continue to take all measures to undermine the ability of the Russian occupiers to attack civilian infrastructure and to force the Russian Federation to cease its armed aggression against Ukraine," the armed forces said in a post on Telegram. Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported that there was damage but did not say what had been hit. The Defense Ministry said 94 Ukrainian drones were shot down, 34 of which were over the Voronezh region. Ukraine also reported further Russian drone strikes on Saturday morning. Military Governor Oleh Synegubov posted on Telegram that at least three people, including a 12-year-old boy, had been injured in the city of Chuhuiv. Ukraine on Saturday morning was still reeling from Russia's massive wave of strikes early on Friday, with the Ukrainian air force saying 550 drones had been fired on Ukraine, calling it the largest wave of strikes since the war began. One person was killed and dozens more were injured in the attack. Russia then launched another wave of attacks on Friday night. The strikes came after a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his counterpart Donald Trump who expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of progress. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
DW
an hour ago
- DW
Ukraine updates: Kyiv strikes Russian military air base – DW – 07/05/2025
The Ukrainian military said it hit the Borisoglebsk airfield, home to several Russian military aircraft. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin. DW has more. The Ukrainian military has said it struck a Russian military air base, claiming it hit a glide bomb store. The attack comes after Ukraine said it recorded the largest number of drones launched by Russia on Friday. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Ukraine would need more Patriot missiles after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on UK Defense Ministry's daily intelligence update said Russia had confirmed the death of Mikhail Gudkov, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy. Gudkov was killed in a Ukrainian strike on March 28. The update said Gudkov was the second senior Russian general to be killed this year, and the 16th since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. "The loss of so many high-ranking officers is likely to have had the effect of undermining command and control in parts of the Russian Armed Forces," the UK Defense Ministry said. "This has likely contributed to Russian tactical and operational difficulties during the conflict." The Russian strikes on Friday came after a call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin after which the US President said he was "very unhappy." Trump later held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday evening, which appeared to have a more positive result. Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the call with Zelenskyy had been good. "We spoke about opportunities in air defense and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies," Zelenskyy said on social media after the call. Regarding his call with Putin, Trump hinted at the possibility of further US sanctions against Russia. "We talk about sanctions a lot," Trump said. "He understands that it may be coming." Trump said he would quickly end the war after coming into office, initially showing a closeness to Putin that marked a dramatic change from the previous White House administration. However, Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with Putin. Whether this will translate to more support for Ukraine remains to be seen. The Ukrainian military said on Saturday that it had hit the Borisoglebsk airfield in the Voronezh region. According to Kyiv, the base contained Russian Sukhoi Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM military jets. They said they hit a glide bomb depot and training aircraft, as well as other machines. This could not be independently verified. "The defense forces continue to take all measures to undermine the ability of the Russian occupiers to attack civilian infrastructure and to force the Russian Federation to cease its armed aggression against Ukraine," the armed forces said in a post on Telegram. Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported that there was damage but did not say what had been hit. The Defense Ministry said 94 Ukrainian drones were shot down, 34 of which were over the Voronezh region. Ukraine also reported further Russian drone strikes on Saturday morning. Military Governor Oleh Synegubov posted on Telegram that at least three people, including a 12-year-old boy, had been injured in the city of Chuhuiv. Ukraine on Saturday morning was still reeling from Russia's massive wave of strikes early on Friday, with the Ukrainian air force saying 550 drones had been fired on Ukraine, calling it the largest wave of strikes since the war began. One person was killed and dozens more were injured in the attack. Russia then launched another wave of attacks on Friday night. The strikes came after a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his counterpart Donald Trump who expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of progress. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Int'l Business Times
4 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Afghans Both Hopeful, Disappointed After Russia's Taliban Recognition
Russia's decision to formally recognise the Taliban government has been seen as an opening for a stronger economy by some Afghans, while others were sceptical that it would improve their lot. Russia became the first country to acknowledge the Taliban authorities on Thursday, after a gradual building of ties that included removing their "terrorist organisation" designation and accepting an ambassador in recent months. The Taliban authorities had not been recognised by any state in the nearly four years since sweeping to power in 2021, ousting the foreign-backed government as US-led troops withdrew after a two-decade war. Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world and in a fragile recovery from four decades of conflict. "With the current situation in Afghanistan, with all the challenges, everyone is worried. If the world recognises Afghanistan, we will be happy, currently, even the tiniest thing matters," Gul Mohammad, 58, said on Friday in the capital Kabul. Despite having bitter memories of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, when he "lost everything" and became a refugee in Pakistan, he acknowledges that "the priorities are different now". Jamaluddin Sayar, 67, predicted that "trade and economic prosperity will now blossom". The retired pilot said other countries, "both western and eastern", should recognise the government and "stop spreading propaganda against the Islamic Emirate", using the Taliban authorities' name for their administration. Russian and Afghan officials praised the move as an opening for deeper cooperation, notably in economic and security arenas. Security concerns have been a key avenue for coordination between the Taliban authorities and the international community, amid fears Afghanistan would become fertile ground for increased militant activity. The authorities have prioritised security and made repeated assurances that Afghan soil would not be used by any group to plan attacks on other nations. However, Pakistan's ties with the Taliban authorities have been strained over a surge in militant activity since their takeover and last year, an attack claimed by the Islamic State group's branch in Afghanistan killed 137 people in a Moscow concert hall. In a country where dissent and protest is tightly controlled, some Kabul residents were afraid to openly criticise the Taliban authorities. Atef, not his real name, was unconvinced better relations between Afghanistan and Russia would improve the livelihoods of ordinary Afghans. "I think Afghanistan will fall into the traps of the Russians again, the issues and challenges will increase, and there is nothing that can help ordinary people," the unemployed 25-year-old said. "People are struggling, and they will still struggle with or without the recognition." For Afghan women's rights activists, particularly those who have advocated for isolating the Taliban government, the recognition was seen as a setback that "legitimises" restrictions on women. The Taliban authorities, who also ruled the country between 1996 and 2001, have again imposed an austere version of Islamic law. Norway-based Afghan women's rights activist Hoda Khamosh was defiant against the impact of the Russian move. "Human rights organisations right now are trying to recognise gender apartheid in Afghanistan because the Taliban are a repressive regime against women," she said. "Therefore, these recognitions will not lead to anything."
