Russia Unleashes Record 728 Drone Barrage On Ukraine/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Russia launched its largest drone assault of the war, firing over 700 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight, hitting military sites and cities across 10 regions. Ukraine’s defenses intercepted hundreds, but damage and casualties were reported. The massive attack underscores escalating drone warfare amid stalled peace efforts.
Russia Ukraine Drone Attack Quick Looks
- Russia fires record 728 drones, plus 13 missiles
- Lutsk in western Ukraine hardest hit in strikes
- Ukraine shoots down 296 drones and 7 missiles
- Drone strikes hit 10 regions, cause casualties and damage
- Poland puts military on high alert after attack
- Trump pledges more U.S. weapons for Ukraine
- Russia and Ukraine ramp up drone production
- Europe’s human rights court rules against Russia for war abuses
Deep Look
Russia Launches Record Drone Barrage On Ukraine, Intensifying Aerial Assault Amid Stalled Peace Efforts
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia unleashed its largest drone attack of the war overnight, firing a staggering 728 attack and decoy drones, along with 13 missiles, at targets across Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday. The record-breaking assault highlights Moscow’s escalating aerial campaign as both sides rely increasingly on drones in the conflict’s fourth year.
The Ukrainian Air Force said the latest barrage was the third record-setting drone attack in two weeks, part of a Kremlin strategy to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses and disrupt the flow of crucial Western weaponry.
Lutsk Hit Hardest In Western Ukraine
Among the hardest-hit areas was the city of Lutsk in western Ukraine, a region near the Polish border that serves as a vital logistics hub for incoming foreign military aid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Kremlin’s strikes were meant to “make a point” amid growing uncertainty over continued American arms shipments and diplomatic stalemates.
Beyond Lutsk, strikes were reported in 10 Ukrainian regions. One person was killed in Khmelnytskyi, and two were wounded in the Kyiv region, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukraine’s Air Defense Holds But Strains Under Sheer Volume
Ukraine’s air defenses managed to intercept 296 drones and seven missiles during the attack, the Air Force said. An additional 415 drones either disappeared from radar or were jammed, but some still inflicted damage.
Poland, alarmed by the proximity of the strikes to its border, scrambled fighter jets and placed its armed forces on heightened alert, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command said on social media.
Drone Warfare Escalates On Both Sides
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its strikes successfully targeted Ukrainian air bases, while Ukraine retaliated with drone strikes deep into Russian territory overnight. Russian officials said Ukrainian drones killed three people in the border region of Kursk and forced flight disruptions at Moscow-area airports.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it downed 86 Ukrainian drones over six regions, including the Moscow region.
Both Moscow and Kyiv are racing to expand domestic drone production. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War noted Tuesday that Russia is rapidly scaling its drone manufacturing and could soon be capable of launching over 1,000 drones in a single night.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is also boosting domestic production of interceptor drones, working with Western partners to counter Moscow’s growing drone arsenal.
Political And Legal Repercussions
In Washington, President Donald Trump, who has been pursuing a peace deal with Moscow, said this week he was “not happy” with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intransigence. After briefly pausing arms deliveries to Kyiv, Trump announced that the U.S. would resume sending weapons to Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged Trump’s tough rhetoric but said Moscow hoped to “continue our dialogue with Washington.”
Meanwhile, Europe’s top human rights court ruled for the first time that Russia violated international law during its invasion of Ukraine. The European Court of Human Rights also declared Russia responsible for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine, which killed 298 people. Though largely symbolic, the ruling marks a significant legal rebuke for Moscow.
Ongoing Human Toll
The overnight attacks left smoldering wreckage and fires in multiple regions. Photos released by Ukraine’s emergency services showed firefighters battling blazes amid charred debris in the Kyiv and Volyn regions.
Kaitlyn Carpenter, a Ruidoso resident sheltering from storms in New Mexico earlier this week, could likely relate to the shock and trauma faced by Ukrainians now dealing with an onslaught from the skies. In Ukraine, the terror is man-made — and increasing in scale.
Zelenskyy called for tougher sanctions on Russian oil exports and those financing Moscow’s war effort.
“Everyone who wants peace must act,” he said.
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