Ukraine war: Russia's massive drone and missile attack kills at least 22

A large-scale Russian assault involving drones and missiles struck Ukraine, causing at least 22 fatalities, with 16 deaths reported in the city of Dnipro alone. Kyiv has once again urgently appealed for additional American air defense systems to counter such attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had recently warned of an imminent, large-scale Russian strike. Following the attack, he stated on social media that it represented "a massive attack and a clear statement from Russia: if Ukraine is not protected from ballistic missile strikes and others, these attacks will continue." His Foreign Minister, Andriï Sybiga, accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of using "terror as his only card" and asserted that Russia is "losing on the battlefield."

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This was a massive attack and a clear statement from Russia: if Ukraine is not protected from ballistic missile strikes and others, these attacks will continue.

In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported six deaths and over fifty injuries within the capital. The industrial city of Dnipro in central-eastern Ukraine suffered the heaviest toll, with local authorities confirming 16 deaths, including two children, and 42 wounded.

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Russia is using terror as its only card... Russia is losing on the battlefield.

Ukraine's air force claimed to have shot down 40 out of 73 missiles and 602 out of 656 drones launched by Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defense, however, maintained that the "massive strike" exclusively targeted Ukrainian military-related objectives.

Analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicates that Ukraine regained approximately 282 square kilometers of territory from Russia in May. This marks the second consecutive month of Ukrainian advances, reversing gains made by Moscow since the fall of 2023. Russian forces continue to occupy about 20% of Ukraine's territory, with Kyiv aiming to halt combat along the current front lines. Despite over four years of conflict, negotiations to end the war, Europe's deadliest since World War II, remain stalled. French diplomacy characterized the recent Russian strikes as demonstrating "total contempt" for peace efforts.

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Ukraine's air force counted 73 missiles and 656 drones fired by Russia and claimed to have shot down 40 and 602 respectively.