At least five people have been killed and more than 20 wounded in Russia‘s latest barrage of missiles, drones, and bombs across Ukraine. The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched 215 missiles and drones overnight, with Ukrainian air defenses shooting down 87 drones and seven missiles.
The northeastern city of Kharkiv bore the brunt of the attack, with Mayor Ihor Terekhov describing it as the “most powerful” assault on the city since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Three people were killed, and 17 others, including two children, were wounded in Kharkiv, where residential buildings and civilian infrastructure suffered significant damage. “Drones are still circling above,” Terekhov wrote on Telegram, as air raid sirens blared across the city.
Russian shelling also hit the city of Kherson, killing a couple and damaging residential buildings. In Dnipro, two women, aged 45 and 88, were injured in separate attacks. The surge in Russian attacks follows a Ukrainian drone operation that damaged nuclear-capable military aircraft at Russian airbases, prompting President Vladimir Putin to pledge retaliation.
Moscow has rejected calls for a truce, insisting the war is a matter of national survival. “For us, it is an existential issue,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. “It concerns our national interest, our safety, and the future of our country.” Putin has demanded Ukraine withdraw from four partially occupied regions, abandon its NATO ambitions, and halt all Western military cooperation – terms Kyiv has deemed unacceptable.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed a three-way summit involving himself, Putin, and US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the US and Europe are grappling with their roles in the conflict, with some questioning whether Europe can stop Putin alone. The situation remains complex, with no clear resolution in sight.
In a separate development, US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are embroiled in a public feud, with Trump saying Musk has “lost his mind” and is “not particularly” interested in talking to him. The break-up between the billionaire and the world’s most powerful man is fraught with political and economic risks.