A Russian drone barrage on Wednesday, primarily targeting western Ukraine during daylight hours, killed at least six people and wounded dozens, according to the Ukrainian president. This attack signaled a potential shift in Moscow’s aerial bombardment strategy. For over four years, Russia has routinely targeted Ukrainian cities, though large-scale drone and missile assaults typically occur at night. President Zelensky stated on social media that “at least 800 Russian drones” had been launched since midnight, resulting in “six people killed” and dozens injured, among them children. In Kyiv, AFP journalists observed residents seeking shelter in metro stations amid blaring air raid sirens, while the capital’s mayor confirmed that air defense systems were actively engaging the drones.
Zelensky accused Moscow of intentionally timing the strikes to coincide with US President Donald Trump’s visit to China. He wrote that it was “certainly no coincidence that one of the longest massive Russian attacks against Ukraine takes place precisely at the time when the President of the United States arrived for a visit to China.” Zelensky added, “In this difficult geopolitical moment, Russia is clearly trying to disrupt the overall political atmosphere and draw attention to its evil – seeking to do so at the expense of Ukrainian lives and Ukrainian infrastructure.”
Earlier the same day, Zelensky had urged Trump to address the cessation of Russia’s invasion during his discussions with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Speaking at a summit in Romania, he affirmed, “We are in constant contact with our American partners,” expressing gratitude and stating, “We are expecting that the issue of ending of the Russian war against Ukraine will be raised now as well, while the president of the United States is in China.”
Regional authorities reported specific casualties: three people died and four were wounded in drone attacks in the western Rivne region, which also damaged civilian infrastructure and a residential building. Additionally, one person was killed in Zaporizhzhia, and two others in the southern Kherson region. At least eight more were wounded across the southern Black Sea region of Odesa and the central regions of Khmelnytskyi and Cherkasy. Kyiv’s military intelligence had previously warned of a “prolonged air strike against critical facilities in Ukraine” by Russian forces.
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