The Voice News: KYIV, Ukraine —
In one of the most extensive air assaults since the beginning of the war, Russia launched a deadly barrage of over 450 drones and missiles on Ukraine early Friday, killing at least three people and injuring dozens more. The attack came just days after Ukraine executed a bold strike that crippled more than a third of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet.
Residents of Kyiv were once again jolted awake by the now-familiar sounds of war — the high-pitched whirring of drones, the wail of air raid sirens, and the thunderous blasts of both intercepted and successful missile strikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack one of the war’s largest, saying that more than 400 Iranian-made drones and 40 missiles were launched overnight, targeting nearly the entire country.
“Almost all of Ukraine was under attack,” Zelensky said, listing nine affected regions, stretching from Lviv in the west to Sumy in the northeast.
The scale of the attack followed Ukraine’s audacious “Spiderweb” operation last weekend, which struck deep into Russian territory, damaging strategic bombers used for launching long-range cruise missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned during a Wednesday phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump that retaliation was inevitable.
The Russian Defense Ministry described Friday’s strikes as a response to what it called Kyiv’s “terrorist acts.” While the full scope of Moscow’s retaliatory strategy remains unclear, the scale and timing of the attack raised fears of a broader escalation. Pro-Kremlin voices have even suggested that a nuclear response might be warranted.
Civilian Toll Mounts
After sunrise, harrowing scenes emerged from cities like Kyiv and Chernihiv. Apartment buildings lay in ruin, their walls blown apart, and cars were buried in glass and rubble. Firefighters and rescue teams scrambled to control the flames and assist survivors.
While Zelensky confirmed three civilian deaths, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported four fatalities in the capital alone. The discrepancy between the two figures remains unexplained.
The western city of Lutsk, near the Polish border, also came under heavy fire, with five people injured and at least four missile impacts confirmed. Chernihiv, near the Belarusian border, suffered 14 powerful explosions, as Russia used Iskander-M ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and kamikaze drones.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it had successfully intercepted 406 of the 452 incoming projectiles — including 32 cruise missiles and 4 ballistic missiles. Two ballistic missiles failed to reach their targets.
Kyiv Strikes Back
In a show of continued resilience, Ukraine’s military claimed it launched new strikes overnight on two Russian airfields that housed surviving bombers from the previous weekend’s operation. Ukrainian officials say these aircraft were responsible for launching devastating missile barrages on civilian areas.
“Our operation directly targeted the aircraft that kill our civilians,” said Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. “Russia’s response was not aimed at military targets — it was a continuation of their war against the people of Ukraine.”
Diplomatic Fallout and U.S. Response
The renewed escalation comes at a sensitive moment in international diplomacy. Following Trump’s Wednesday call with Putin, the U.S. president offered no public condemnation of the Russian retaliation. Ukrainian lawmakers expressed dismay that Trump did not discourage Putin’s threats during the call.
“When Putin spoke about avenging Ukraine’s actions, we knew it meant civilians would pay the price,” said Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Merezhko. “And yet, President Trump remained silent.”
On Thursday, Trump attempted to downplay the conflict by comparing it to a fight between unruly children. “Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy in a park… maybe it’s best to let them fight a while,” he said in the Oval Office, as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looked on without comment.
As the conflict enters a new, potentially more volatile phase, the situation remains fluid. Ukraine’s resolve is unshaken, but the human toll continues to rise as the country braces for what may come next.