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Russia launched almost 90 drones against Ukraine in one of its largest attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
The overnight attack, which lasted for seven hours and well into Wednesday morning, mainly targeted Kyiv where more than 30 drones were shot down, according to Ukraine’s air defence forces.
It marked an escalation in Russia’s renewed offensive, which has prompted Ukrainian forces to also increase their aerial attacks on Russian targets.
Kyiv city administration head Serhiy Popko described it as “one of the most massive drone attacks on Ukraine during the entire war”, while noting that none reached their targets. Authorities said 13 houses in the Kyiv region were hit by falling debris and the rest of the drones were downed outside of residential areas.
Explosions were reported in four other Ukrainian regions — Mykolayiv, Dnipro, Sumy and Poltava.
It was the first nationwide attack since July 8, when Russian missiles overpowered Kyiv’s air defences, killing 42 people and injuring 190 in an attack on a children’s hospital and several residential buildings.
Russian drone attacks on Kyiv have become rare since 2023 when Ukraine built up strong air defences around the capital, which include US-made Patriot systems.
Ukrainian drone strikes in Russia have also intensified, with several reported over the past week. On Wednesday, Kyiv’s forces claimed to have hit a weapons depot in the Kursk region near the Ukrainian border. The Russian defence ministry said its forces destroyed 19 drones launched by Ukraine overnight.
On Sunday, Ukraine said its drones had damaged two Tu-22M3 bomber planes at an airfield in Murmansk, in the far north of Russia.
“Destroying the enemy’s aircraft that is striking Ukraine is a priority. We can reach it everywhere,” said the head of Ukraine’s presidential administration Andriy Yermak.
The aerial attacks come as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has increased his diplomatic efforts to get more countries behind his peace formula and as Russia’s land offensive made incremental gains along the 1,000km-long frontline.
On Monday, Russia announced that it had taken the village of Vovche, near the strategic town of Pokrovsk, which, if captured, would make it very difficult for Ukrainian forces to hold the line.
While Russia has said it is open to talks, its conditions are unacceptable for Ukraine, as they include occupying four Ukrainian regions, including territory it does not currently hold.
Beyond the peace overtures, both sides are making efforts to recruit more soldiers and arm themselves for a long war.
The long awaited F-16 fighter jets are due to arrive in Ukraine in August. Ukraine has said it hopes that they can be used to shoot down Russian bomber planes and intercept missiles.
But some experts are sceptical of just how much the F-16s will change the dynamic of the war, especially given the time Russia has had to prepare for their arrival.
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