Russia launched a “huge” drone and missile strike on Ukraine’s capital and different areas early on Friday, days after Ukraine’s shock assault on its air bases.
5 individuals had been killed and 80 injured, Ukrainian officers mentioned, with cruise missiles and tons of of drones launched.
Strikes focused the capital Kyiv, and the northern metropolis of Chernihiv, in addition to Lutsk and Ternopil within the north-west.
Russia mentioned the strikes had been in response to “terrorist acts by the Kyiv regime”, saying navy websites had been focused.
Moscow additionally reported downing 174 Ukrainian drones over elements of Russia and occupied Crimea. Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles, it mentioned, had been intercepted over the Black Sea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia’s defence ministry mentioned its armed forces had “launched an enormous strike with high-precision long-range air, sea and ground-based weapons, in addition to assault drones” on Thursday evening.
The assault got here after Putin warned US President Donald Trump he would reply to Ukraine’s latest strikes in a number of Russian areas.
Late on Friday, Trump advised reporters that the Ukrainians had given “Putin a motive to go in and bomb the hell out of them final evening”.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the warfare in Ukraine as “existential” for Russia, saying it was an “situation of our nationwide pursuits, a difficulty of our safety”.
Moscow blamed Ukraine for 3 bomb assaults on railways in Russia’s western Bryansk and Kursk areas which reportedly killed seven individuals and injured greater than 100 final weekend. Kyiv has not commented on these assaults.
Ukraine did say nonetheless that it had carried out its largest long-range drone strikes on at the very least 40 Russian warplanes at 4 navy bases deep inside Russia final Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned 117 drones had been utilized in Operation Spider’s Net by the SBU safety service , hanging “34% of [Russia’s] strategic cruise missile carriers”.
Ukrainian officers say Russia’s newest aerial assault included 38 cruise missiles, the sort Ukraine focused on Sunday.
Ukraine’s state emergencies service DSNS mentioned the three individuals killed in Kyiv had all been its staff.
One particular person was killed in Lutsk, and the physique of one other sufferer was pulled from the wreckage in Chernihiv late on Friday.
Zelensky mentioned the Russian assault had used greater than 400 drones.
“Now could be precisely the second when America, Europe, and everybody world wide can cease this warfare collectively by pressuring Russia,” he added.
In a thinly veiled reference to Trump’s obvious unwillingness to place strain on Russia, he added: “If somebody just isn’t making use of strain and is giving the warfare extra time to take lives – that’s complicity and accountability.”
ReutersAir raid alerts had been in place in Kyiv, the place a residential constructing was hit, and town’s metro system was disrupted after shelling broken tracks.
Tens of 1000’s of civilians within the capital spent a stressed few hours in underground shelters.
From the centre of town, extended bursts of machine gun fireplace may very well be heard as air defences on the outskirts tried to deliver down scores of drones aimed on the capital.
Now and again, the distinctive buzz of drones overhead may be heard.
Vibrant flashes of sunshine, typically mirrored on close by buildings, can be adopted, 5 or 10 seconds later, by thunderous explosions.
In Ternopil, navy chief Vyacheslav Negoda mentioned Friday’s strike had been the “most huge air assault on our area to this point”, injuring 5 individuals and damaging properties and colleges.
EPAEarlier this month, the second spherical of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine befell in Istanbul, however ended with no main breakthrough.
Ukrainian negotiators mentioned Russia had rejected an unconditional ceasefire – a key demand of Kyiv and its Western allies, together with the US.
The Russian group mentioned they’d proposed a two- or three-day truce “in sure areas” of the huge entrance line, however gave no additional particulars.
Final week, Trump appeared to set a two-week deadline for Putin, threatening to vary how the US was responding to Russia if he believed Putin was nonetheless “tapping” him alongside on peace efforts in Ukraine.
The US president has to this point not acted on his menace.
