Days after Kyiv had carried out Operation Spiderweb targeting the country’s strategic cruise missile carriers, Russia, in a response, launched a massive attack on Ukraine, firing over 400 drones and 40 missiles across the country, in what appears to be one of the largest attacks in the three-year war.
The attack targeted almost all of Ukraine, with nine regions affected, including Kyiv, Lviv, and Sumy. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 80 people were injured, and some may still be under debris. Unfortunately, the attack also resulted in at least six deaths, including three firefighters in Kyiv, two civilians in Lutsk, and one person in Chernihiv.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in a post on X said, “Today, rescue and emergency operations continued all day across various regions and cities of our country. Over 400 drones, more than 40 missiles were launched by the Russians. 80 people were injured, and some may still be under the debris.”
He added, “Unfortunately, not everyone in the world condemns such attacks. This is exactly what Putin exploits. He is buying himself time to keep waging war.”
Today, rescue and emergency operations continued all day across various regions and cities of our country.
Over 400 drones, more than 40 missiles were launched by the Russians. 80 people were injured, and some may still be under the debris. And unfortunately, not everyone in the…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa)
After the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had used more than 400 drones and 40 missiles in the overnight attack, making it among the war’s largest. He said Moscow’s attack injured 80 and targeted “almost all” of Ukraine, listing nine regions, from Lviv in the west to Sumy in the northeast.
Citing CNN, news agency ANI reported that although Russia has pummeled Ukraine almost daily over three years of full-scale war, Ukrainians had been bracing for retaliation since last Sunday, when Kyiv launched an audacious operation that struck more than a third of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers.
During the telephonic conversation with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would have to respond to Kyiv’s assault.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its strikes were in response to what it called Kyiv’s “terrorist acts.” It was not immediately clear if the attack was the extent of Russia’s pledged retaliation or if Putin intends to escalate further. After the embarrassment of Kyiv’s operation, there was a chorus of bellicose calls from pro-Kremlin pundits for a severe – potentially nuclear – response.
Although Ukrainians had been buoyed last weekend by the news of Kyiv’s successful operation, many were wary of how Russia might strike back. But after Friday’s strikes, Kyiv residents told CNN they supported Ukraine’s strikes against the aircraft Moscow has used to bomb Ukraine for more than three years.
“It didn’t break us at all. The morale is as high as it was. We strongly believe in our armed forces,” said Olha, a 39-year-old from the capital who did not wish to give her last name.
She said the apparent “retaliation” from Russia was not so different to countless other nights of the war. “Maybe (this was the retaliation), but maybe the retaliation is yet to come. Either way, it doesn’t change our attitude towards the enemy or towards our country.”
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