Russia fires hundreds of drones and ballistic missile at Ukraine
KYIV: Russia fired hundreds of drones, artillery and a ballistic missile at Ukraine between late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Ukraine said, defying calls by Donald Trump to reach a peace deal. The attacks left one woman dead and wounded more than two dozen people across multiple regions, while a missile attack cut power and water in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's home city of Kryvyi Rig, according to authorities.
The bombardment came two days after US President Trump threatened to impose severe sanctions against the country unless it reached a peace settlement within 50 days to end its three-year war on Ukraine. Ukrainian and Russian officials last met for direct peace talks more than a month ago, and no further meetings have been scheduled despite the Kremlin saying it is open for more talks.
Russia fired at least 400 drones at Ukraine between late Tuesday and early Wednesday, as well as an Iskander ballistic missile launched from the annexed Crimean peninsula, the Ukrainian air force said. Overnight drone attacks on the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia left eight wounded, while three were wounded in an attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, local authorities said. The large-scale long-range attacks targeted energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X. Power was cut for 80,000 families in Kryvyi Rih and other locations in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK said on the Telegram app.
The air force said it had shot down most of the drones, but that 12 targets were hit by 57 drones and the missile. Russia has stepped up attacks on cities across Ukraine this summer, regularly sending several hundred drones accompanied by ballistic missiles. The attacks were cited by US President Donald Trump this week as a reason for his decision to approve more weapons for Ukraine, including air defenses. 'Russia does not change its strategy, and to effectively counter this terror we need a systemic strengthening of defenses: more air defenses, more interceptor (drones), more determination to make Russia feel our response,' Zelensky wrote.
In Vinnytsia and the surrounding region, eight people were wounded, according to Ukraine's interior ministry. Russian attacks on the city of Kryvyi Rig wounded at least 15 people, destroyed an industrial building and disrupted power and water supplies, according to local officials.
A 17-year-old boy was among those injured, the city's mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram. 'He was wounded in the abdominal cavity. He was immediately taken to the hospital, in serious condition. Now doctors are fighting for his life,' he wrote. 'This has never happened before. A ballistic missile and 28 Shaheds simultaneously,' he added, referring to Iranian-designed drones. Russia has stepped up its summer campaign against Ukraine in recent weeks as Washington-mediated ceasefire talks stall. Its army has pushed ahead on the battlefield, while pounding Ukraine with combined drone, artillery and missile strikes. Trump said Monday he had struck a deal with NATO chief to supply more American air defense systems and weapons to Ukraine, citing his frustration with Russia's refusal to accept a ceasefire.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on X that drones had hit a factory of the Polish wood flooring producer Barlinek Group in Vinnytsia, which is in the western part of central Ukraine. 'The plant manager told me just now that it was deliberate, from three directions... Putin's criminal war is getting closer to our borders,' he added. The head of the military administration in Kryvyi Rih, Oleksandr Vilkul, said Russian forces conducted an extended attack with a missile and 28 drones. He said water supplies had also been disrupted in some areas. — Agencies
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