Russia launched what was described as the largest drone strike on Kiev in the early hours of Sunday, while Russian forces were regrouping after the Wagner Group mercenaries pulled back from the shattered city of Bakhmut. The assault marked a significant escalation on the eastern front as officials noted the scale of the attack and the effort to reassemble lines after the retreat. (Source: Reuters)
“It was a drone attack larger than any since the invasion began,” a spokesperson said, underscoring the intensification of the campaign against the Ukrainian capital. (Source: Reuters)
drone wave
Vitaly Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev, reported that the first explosions occurred around 01:00 local time, with drones continuing to arrive in waves from multiple directions through the early morning. (Source: Reuters)
At least one person was killed as a result of the strikes on the capital. (Source: Reuters)
The city of Zhytomyr in the north was also hit by drone activity, with many residential buildings damaged but no fatalities reported according to municipal officials. (Source: Reuters)
Ukrainian Air Force Command confirmed that Russia launched a total of 54 drones, the Shahed-136/131 models described as Iranian-made kamikazes, with 52 brought down by anti-aircraft defenses. (Source: Reuters)
Zelensky praised air defense
President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed air defense personnel, firefighters, and rescue teams via his official messaging channels, calling them heroes for their response to the morning attack. (Source: Reuters)
Yuri Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, emphasized that anti-aircraft defenses are improving daily, while acknowledging that more tools are needed to reach full effectiveness. (Source: Reuters)
He added that achieving complete success would come with the arrival of new fighter aircraft such as the F-16, which Ukraine has been seeking. (Source: Reuters)
In a separate statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that supplying fourth-generation Western aircraft to Ukraine would constitute an unacceptable escalation. He argued that responsible actors in the West understand the implications, while pointing to Washington, London, and their EU partners as the main drivers. (Source: Reuters)
Russian territory was also targeted
In the Belgorod region inside Russia, authorities reported at least one death and several injuries due to artillery fire from Ukrainian forces. The governor described damage to multiple facilities and a series of strikes in the past day, including mortar mines and cannon rounds. (Source: Reuters)
The governor noted that a total of 103 projectiles had been fired, and that several districts, including the Graivoron area, saw damage to administrative buildings and residences. (Source: Reuters)
Earlier in the week, Graivoron was the site of reports of a large-scale raid attributed to Ukrainian saboteur groups, with official sources citing the involvement of paramilitary units operating on the Kiev side. (Source: Reuters)
According to the American Institute for the Study of War, fighting around Bakhmut slowed after Wagner Group fighters began withdrawing and repositioning toward United States-aligned forces. (Source: ISW)
Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had led the mercenary group, announced that the withdrawal would continue into the weekend and beyond as positions were moved to rear areas for consolidation. (Source: Reuters)