Russia launches ‘massive’ strike following Ukraine air base attacks

Early Friday, Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile assault targeting Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and several other northern cities, following Ukraine’s recent surprise attack on Russian air bases.

Ukrainian officials reported five fatalities and 80 injuries as cruise missiles and hundreds of drones struck Kyiv, Chernihiv, Lutsk, and Ternopil.

Moscow justified the attacks as a response to what it described as "terrorist acts by the Kyiv regime," focusing on military installations.

The Russian defense ministry stated that the strikes involved high-precision long-range air, sea, and ground-based weapons, along with attack drones, deployed overnight on Thursday.

The Kremlin also claimed to have intercepted 174 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory and occupied Crimea, including Neptune anti-ship missiles over the Black Sea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, warned US President Donald Trump of a strong response to Ukraine’s recent strikes in several Russian regions.

Speaking to reporters late Friday, Trump commented that Ukraine’s actions had given Putin "a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night."

Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, described the conflict as an existential issue for Russia, emphasizing national security concerns.

Moscow blamed Kyiv for recent bombings on railway lines in Russia’s western Bryansk and Kursk regions that reportedly caused seven deaths and over 100 injuries, although Ukraine has not commented on these incidents.

Meanwhile, Ukraine confirmed carrying out its largest long-range drone attack to date, deploying 117 drones in Operation Spider Web to strike at least 40 Russian warplanes across four military bases deep inside Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the operation damaged 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers, according to the SBU security service.

Ukrainian officials reported that Russia’s latest airstrike involved 38 cruise missiles, similar to those Ukraine targeted in its recent Sunday attack.

The State Emergencies Service (DSNS) confirmed that three of the five people killed in Kyiv were its employees.

One person died in Lutsk, while another victim’s body was recovered from the rubble in Chernihiv late Friday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the assault deployed over 400 drones.

He urged the international community, particularly the US and Europe, to increase pressure on Russia to end the conflict, warning that failure to act amounts to complicity.

Kyiv remained on high alert, with air raid sirens sounding as a residential building was struck and the city’s metro service disrupted after shelling damaged tracks.

Tens of thousands of residents spent the night in underground shelters while gunfire echoed through the city, as air defence units attempted to shoot down waves of drones targeting the capital.

From time to time, the distinctive hum of drones could be heard flying overhead.

Bright flashes lit up the sky, often reflecting off nearby buildings, followed seconds later by powerful explosions.

In Ternopil, military commander Vyacheslav Negoda described Friday’s assault as the “most massive air attack on our region to date,” reporting five injuries and damage to homes and schools.

Earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine held a second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul, which ended without significant progress.

Ukrainian negotiators said Russia refused to agree to an unconditional ceasefire a key demand from Kyiv and its Western allies, including the US.

Meanwhile, the Russian delegation proposed a limited two- or three-day truce in select areas, offering no further specifics.

Last week, former US President Donald Trump set a two-week ultimatum for Putin, warning he might alter America’s stance on Russia if he suspected Putin was stalling peace efforts in Ukraine.

So far, the US president has yet to follow through on his stated threat.