Russia Strikes Kyiv, Odesa With Massive Drones and Missiles/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Russia launched one of its largest drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s cities of Kyiv and Odesa, killing three and injuring at least 13 people. The assault comes amid stalled peace efforts and rising civilian casualties. Ukraine urges stronger international action as airstrikes intensify.
Russia Drone Strike on Ukraine Quick Looks
- Russian drone and missile barrage kills 3, wounds 13 across Kyiv, Odesa
- Over 315 Iranian-made Shahed drones and 7 missiles launched overnight
- Ukraine calls for stronger international response; peace talks stalled
- Attacks strike residential buildings, maternity hospital, and warehouses
- Ukrainian residents shelter in metro stations during hourslong assault
- Russian Defense Ministry claims military targets were hit
- New prisoner swap underway amid broader deadlock in negotiations
- Death toll from earlier strikes rises in Kharkiv and Sumy
- 102 Ukrainian drones shot down over Russia, air traffic disrupted
- War enters third year with rising civilian toll and global concern
Deep Look: Russia’s Massive Drone Assault Hits Kyiv and Odesa, Killing Civilians and Deepening Crisis
KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia launched a massive overnight air assault on Ukraine early Tuesday, killing at least three civilians and wounding 13 more in one of the largest coordinated drone and missile attacks of the war. The barrage targeted major cities including Kyiv and Odesa, sparking fires, damaging residential buildings and a maternity hospital, and sending terrified residents underground for shelter.
The Ukrainian military reported that more than 315 drones, mostly Iranian-made Shaheds, along with seven missiles, were launched by Russian forces. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike on Kyiv “one of the biggest” attacks of the war, now in its third year.
“Russian missile and Shahed strikes are louder than the efforts of the United States and others around the world to force Russia into peace,” Zelenskyy wrote in an online statement, calling for “concrete action” from Ukraine’s international partners.
Civilian Zones Targeted in Odesa and Kyiv
In Odesa, two civilians were killed and nine injured when missiles struck central neighborhoods. A maternity hospital and several residential structures sustained heavy damage, according to Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper. The city’s regional prosecutor confirmed the casualty figures.
In Kyiv, a third fatality was confirmed in the Obolon district, where drone debris caused explosions and fires. Tymur Tkachenko, Kyiv’s regional head, condemned the strikes, saying they targeted civilians, not military infrastructure, revealing “the true nature of what we are dealing with.”
Residents reported hearing buzzing drones and explosions for hours, with many seeking shelter in metro stations. “I just try not to think about it,” said Nina Nosivets, who cradled her 8-month-old son underground during the attack. “I curl up like a mouse and wait for it to pass.”
Kyiv authorities reported fires in four city districts, triggered by falling debris from downed drones. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko noted that 19 fires were reported across the country, underscoring the broad scale of the attack.
Peace Talks Stalled Despite Prisoner Swaps
Tuesday’s assault followed the largest drone attack to date just 24 hours earlier and came as both sides resumed limited direct peace talks in Istanbul on June 2. However, despite a prisoner exchange agreement, no substantial progress toward a ceasefire has been made. Contentious clauses within draft ceasefire proposals remain non-starters for both Kyiv and Moscow.
The only tangible progress: a prisoner swap that began Monday, returning soldiers aged 18–25. A future exchange of fallen soldiers’ bodies has been discussed but remains unscheduled.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed Ukraine for delays in the body handover, claiming Russian trucks with bodies have been waiting at the border. “There is one unarguable fact,” he said, “we have had trucks with bodies standing ready for several days.”
Moscow Defends Strike as Military Operation
The Russian Defense Ministry said its early Tuesday strikes targeted arms plants, military command posts, air bases, and weapons depots across Ukraine. “All designated targets have been hit,” the ministry claimed.
However, damage to civilian infrastructure and multiple residential buildings has drawn criticism from international observers and rights organizations, who continue to question the legality and intent of Russia’s tactics.
Casualties Mount in Other Regions
The death toll from earlier strikes continued to climb. In Kharkiv, a body was recovered from rubble following a Saturday drone attack, bringing the confirmed fatalities to five. Five more victims may remain buried, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
In Sumy, a 17-year-old boy succumbed to injuries sustained during a June 3 attack, increasing that incident’s death toll to six.
Meanwhile, Kyiv resident Vasyl Pesenko, 25, described the moment his home was hit: “I was lying in bed, hoping the Shahed would fly past. It didn’t. It kept coming closer—and everything just blew up.”
Ukraine’s Counterstrikes and Russian Airport Closures
Ukraine has continued its own drone operations, launching dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles into Russian airspace. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down 102 Ukrainian drones across various regions, including Crimea, Moscow, and Leningrad.
As a precaution, all four airports in Moscow and the Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg were temporarily closed to air traffic, signaling increased concern about Ukraine’s ability to strike deeper inside Russian territory.
The continuing tit-for-tat raises fears of wider escalation, even as both sides insist they remain open to dialogue.
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