Russia hit Ukraine with what appears to be the heaviest aerial attack of the war last night, launching a combined 550 drones and missiles at the country, according to Ukraine’s air force.
The previous largest attack was recorded on 29 June, when the air force said 537 drones and missiles were fired at Ukraine.
Kyiv was under an all-night attack, injuring at least 23 people, damaging railway infrastructure and sparking fires across Ukraine’s capital city, authorities said.
Air raid alerts remained active for more than eight hours before eventually being called off at 5am local time (2am UK time).
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that damage was recorded in six of Kyiv’s 10 districts, and that falling drone debris had set a medical facility on fire in one.
Russia also targeted other regions of Ukraine with overnight attacks. Downed drones struck property and a vehicle in the city of Poltava, its regional governor reported, injuring two people.
The massive assault came hours after a phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, during which Putin reaffirmed that “Russia will continue to pursue its goals” in Ukraine despite calls for a ceasefire from the West.
