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Russia struck Ukraine with a thunderous aerial bombardment overnight, further dampening hopes that the warring sides could scope a bid woody anytime soon, days aft Kyiv embarrassed the Kremlin with a surprising drone attack connected subject airfields heavy wrong Russia.
The barrage was 1 of the fiercest of the three-year war, lasting respective hours, striking six Ukrainian territories, and sidesplitting astatine slightest six radical and injuring astir 80 others, Ukrainian officials said Friday. Among the dormant were 3 exigency responders successful Kyiv, 1 idiosyncratic successful Lutsk and 2 radical successful Chernihiv.
The onslaught came aft U.S. President Donald Trump said his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, told him Moscow would respond to Ukraine's onslaught Sunday connected Russian subject airfields. It was besides hours aft Mr. Trump said it mightiness beryllium amended to fto Ukraine and Russia “fight for a while” earlier pulling them isolated and pursuing peace. Trump’s comments were a singular detour from his often-stated appeals to halt the warfare and signaled helium whitethorn beryllium giving up connected caller bid efforts.
Ukrainian cities person travel nether regular bombardment since Russia invaded its neighbour successful February 2022. The attacks person killed much than 12,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.
“Russia doesn’t alteration its stripes,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Also Read | Zelenskyy slams Russia aft 3 generations killed successful drone strike
The warfare has continued unabated adjacent arsenic a U.S.-led diplomatic propulsion for a colony has brought 2 rounds of nonstop bid talks betwixt delegations from Russia and Ukraine. The negotiations delivered nary important breakthroughs, however, and the sides stay acold isolated connected their presumption for an extremity to the fighting.
Ukraine has offered an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a gathering betwixt Mr. Zelenskyy and Russian person Vladimir Putin to interruption the deadlock. But the Kremlin has efficaciously rejected a truce and hasn’t budged from its demands.
“The Kremlin continues efforts to falsely represent Russia arsenic consenting to prosecute successful good-faith negotiations to extremity the warfare successful Ukraine, contempt Russia’s repeated refusal to connection immoderate concessions,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based deliberation tank, said precocious Thursday.
Further bid talks betwixt Russia and Ukraine are expected successful coming weeks, arsenic is different speech of prisoners of war.
The onslaught progressive 407 Russian drones and 44 ballistic and cruise missiles, Ukrainian aerial unit spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said. Ukrainian forces said they changeable down astir 30 of the cruise missiles and up to 200 of the drones.
The Kyiv exigency workers were killed portion responding to the strikes. “They were moving nether occurrence to assistance people,” the Interior Ministry said successful a statement.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it aimed astatine Ukrainian subject targets with “long-range precision weapons” and successfully struck arms depots, drone factories and repair facilities, among different targets.
But fitting a signifier for Russian attacks passim the war, Friday's bombardment besides struck flat buildings and different non-military targets, Associated Press reporters observed.
In Kyiv, explosions were heard for hours arsenic falling drone debris sparked fires crossed respective districts, said Tymur Tkachenko, caput of the Kyiv City Administration. He urged radical to question shelter.
Vitalina Vasylchenko, a 14-year-old Kyiv resident, sheltered successful a parking store with her 6-year-old sister and their parent aft an detonation blew 1 of their windows disconnected its hinges.
“I heard a buzzing sound, past my dada ran to maine and covered maine with his hand," she said. "Then determination was a precise large explosion. My full beingness flashed earlier my eyes — I already thought that was it. I started having a panic attack. ... I’m shocked that I’m alive.”
In Kyiv's Solomyanskyi district, a occurrence broke retired connected the 11th level of a 16-story flat building. Emergency services evacuated 3 radical from the burning unit. The onslaught caused a blackout successful immoderate areas, and much than 2,000 households connected Kyiv’s eastbound slope were without power, metropolis officials said.
Elsewhere, 10 radical were injured by an aerial onslaught connected the occidental metropolis of Ternopil, determination politician Viacheslav Nehoda said. The onslaught damaged concern and infrastructure facilities, near parts of the metropolis without electricity, and disrupted h2o supplies.
Russia besides targeted the occidental Lviv and Khmelnytskyi regions, the bluish Chernihiv region, and the cardinal Poltava region, wherever astatine slightest 3 radical were injured.
In Russia, aerial defenses changeable down 10 Ukrainian drones heading toward the superior aboriginal Friday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. As a precaution, flights astatine Moscow airports were temporarily suspended overnight Thursday into Friday and past again precocious Friday afternoon.
Ukrainian drones besides targeted 3 different regions of Russia, authorities said, damaging flat buildings and concern plants. Three radical were injured, officials said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that aerial defenses downed 174 Ukrainian drones implicit 13 regions aboriginal Friday. It added that 3 Ukrainian Neptune missiles were besides changeable down implicit the Black Sea.
Ukraine struck airfields and different subject targets successful Russia, specified arsenic substance retention tanks and transport hubs, the Ukrainian General Staff said.
Also, a locomotive derailed aboriginal Friday successful the Belgorod portion aft the way was blown up, Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Russia has precocious accused Ukraine of sabotaging the obstruction network.
Published - June 07, 2025 07:00 americium IST
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