Kyiv hammered in largest missile and drone barrage since war began

Waves of drone and rocket attacks targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday successful nan largest aerial battle since Russia's penetration of Ukraine began much than 3 years ago, officials said, amid a renewed Russian push to seizure much of its neighbour's land.

The barrage killed 1 personification and wounded astatine slightest 26 others, including a child, and inflicted terrible harm crossed aggregate districts of nan superior successful a seven-hour onslaught, authorities said.

Blasts lit up nan nighttime entity and echoed crossed nan metropolis arsenic aerial ambush sirens wailed.

The bluish lights of emergency vehicles reflected disconnected high-rise buildings, and debris blocked metropolis streets.

"It was a harsh, sleepless night," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks connected Ukrainian cities. Less than a week ago, Russia launched what was past nan largest aerial battle of nan war.

That strategy has coincided pinch a concerted Russian effort to break done parts of nan astir 1000-kilometre beforehand line, wherever Ukrainian troops are nether terrible pressure.

Russia launched 550 drones and missiles crossed Ukraine during nan night, nan country's aerial unit said. The mostly were Shahed drones, but Russia besides launched 11 missiles successful nan attack.

Alya Shahlai, a 23-year-old Kyiv wedding photographer, said that her location was destroyed successful nan attack.

"We were each successful nan [basement] shelter because it was truthful loud, staying location would person been suicidal," she told The Associated Press.

"We went down 10 minutes earlier and past location was a large detonation and nan lights went retired successful nan shelter, group were panicking."

Five ambulances were damaged while responding to calls, officials said, and emergency services removed much than 300 tons of rubble.

Trump 'not happy' pinch Russia's attacks

On Friday, Trump and Zelenskyy had a "very important and meaningful" speech by phone, said Andriy Yermak, nan caput of Ukraine's statesmanlike office. He said that specifications of nan talks would beryllium provided later.

US-led world bid efforts person been fruitless truthful far. Recent nonstop bid talks person led only to sporadic exchanges of prisoners of war, wounded troops and nan bodies of fallen soldiers. No day has been group for further negotiations.

Ukrainian officials and nan Russian Defence Ministry said different captive switch took spot connected Friday, though neither broadside said really galore soldiers were involved.

Zelenskyy said astir of nan Ukrainians had been successful Russian captivity since 2022. The Ukrainian soldiers were classified arsenic "wounded and earnestly ill".

When asked if he made immoderate advancement during his telephone pinch Putin connected a woody to extremity nan fighting successful Ukraine, Trump said: "No, I didn't make immoderate advancement pinch him coming astatine all."

"I'm very disappointed pinch nan speech I had coming pinch President Putin because I don't deliberation he's there. I don't deliberation he's looking to extremity [the fighting], and that's excessively bad," Trump said.

According to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's overseas affairs adviser, nan Russian leader emphasised that Moscow will activity to execute its goals successful Ukraine and region nan "root causes" of nan conflict.

"Russia will not backmost down from these goals," Ushakov told reporters aft nan call.

Russia's service crossed nan separator connected February 24, 2022, successful an all-out penetration that Putin sought to warrant by falsely saying it was needed to protect Russian-speaking civilians successful eastbound Ukraine and forestall nan state from joining NATO. Zelenskyy has many times called retired Russian disinformation efforts.

Pentagon halts deliveries of aerial defence missiles

The US has paused immoderate shipments of subject assistance to Ukraine, including important aerial defense missiles. Ukraine's main European backers are considering really they tin thief prime up nan slack. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's home arms industry, but scaling up will return time.

The Ukrainian consequence needs to beryllium speedy arsenic Russia escalates its aerial attacks. Russia launched 5438 drones astatine Ukraine successful June, a caller monthly record, according to charismatic information collated by The Associated Press.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier this week that Russia besides launched much than 330 missiles, including astir 80 ballistic missiles, astatine Ukrainian towns and cities that month.

Throughout nan night, AP journalists successful Kyiv heard nan changeless buzzing of drones overhead and nan sound of explosions and aggravated instrumentality weapon occurrence arsenic Ukrainian forces tried to intercept nan aerial assault.

"Absolutely horrible and sleepless nighttime successful Kyiv," Sybiha wrote connected societal media level X.

"One of nan worst truthful far."

Ukraine's Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko described "families moving into metro stations, basements, underground parking garages, wide demolition successful nan bosom of our capital".

"What Kyiv endured past night, cannot beryllium called thing but a deliberate enactment of terror," she wrote connected X.

Kyiv was nan superior target of nan countrywide attack. At slightest 14 group were hospitalised, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Zelenskyy called nan Kyiv onslaught "cynical." In Moscow, nan Defence Ministry claimed its forces targeted factories producing drones and different subject instrumentality successful Kyiv.

Russia strikes 5 Ukrainian regions

Ukrainian aerial defenses changeable down 270 targets, including 2 cruise missiles. Another 208 targets were mislaid from radar and presumed jammed.

Russia successfully deed 8 locations pinch 9 missiles and 63 drones. Debris from intercepted drones fell crossed astatine slightest 33 sites.

In summation to nan capital, nan Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Kyiv regions besides sustained damage, Zelenskyy said.

Emergency services reported harm successful astatine slightest 5 of Kyiv's 10 districts.

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