Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned what he described as the biggest aerial assault on Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
According to Zelensky, Russia launched 728 drones and 13 cruise or ballistic missiles in coordinated overnight attacks across multiple cities.
The president labelled the strike a “telling attack,” noting its timing amid renewed international efforts to broker peace.
“It comes precisely at a time when so many efforts have been made to achieve peace, to establish a ceasefire, and yet only Russia continues to rebuff them all,” he said in a statement.
The assault came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a reversal of last week’s suspension of military aid to Ukraine, pledging more weapons for Kyiv.
U.S. media had previously reported that Trump was unaware of the suspension, which had been authorised by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Under-Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby.
Trump expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press briefing on Tuesday.
“We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,” he said. “He’s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed Trump’s remarks, saying, “We are pretty calm about this. Trump’s way of talking is generally quite harsh — the phrases he uses.”
Despite regular contact between the two leaders, little progress has been made toward a ceasefire. Trump had previously claimed he could end the war in a single day, but following a recent phone call with Putin, he expressed disappointment.
“He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people. It’s no good,” Trump said.
The recent policy reversal may now pave the way for the delivery of 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, according to U.S. outlet Axios. These advanced interceptors are crucial for defending against the intensifying drone and missile barrages launched by Russia.
While the east and the capital Kyiv remain frequent targets, the latest wave of strikes hit deeper into the country.
The city of Lutsk, located just 90km (56 miles) from the Polish border and a key transit point for military and humanitarian aid, bore the brunt of Tuesday’s attacks. Explosions were also reported in Lviv and Rivne in western Ukraine.
Two rounds of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine were held earlier this year, but no further meetings have been scheduled.
With both Moscow and Kyiv expressing pessimism over diplomatic solutions, the conflict shows little sign of abating.
Russia’s summer offensive in eastern Ukraine continues to make slow gains. “We are moving forward,” said Peskov on Wednesday. “Each new day the Ukrainians have to accept the new realities.”
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