Russia Unleashes 100 Missile and Drone Barrage on Ukraine in Largest Attack Yet: Zelensky

In a significant escalation, Russian forces launched one of their largest coordinated assaults on Ukraine, bombarding cities across the country with more than 100 missiles and approximately 100 attack drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack in a video message, highlighting the scale of the onslaught. "It was one of the largest strikes—a combined one," Zelensky said, specifying that various types of missiles and Iranian-made Shahed drones were deployed in the early Monday morning attack.

The assault, which struck multiple Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Vinnytsia, triggered air raid sirens nationwide just before dawn. Residents in the capital city of Kyiv woke up to explosions and subsequent power outages. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that several districts were left without electricity, while the right bank of the city experienced water supply issues. The attack also hit residential areas, including an apartment block in Lutsk, resulting in the death of one person, according to local authorities.

The Ukrainian Air Force initially detected 11 Russian bomber aircraft in action, alongside numerous kamikaze drones targeting Ukrainian cities. Shortly afterward, another six bombers were reported in the air, launching waves of missiles. The Ukrainian defense systems responded, but the intensity and scale of the assault underscored the evolving nature of the conflict, with Russia increasing the tempo of such large-scale coordinated attacks.

Cities far beyond the front lines, like Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kryvyi Rih, also experienced explosions, demonstrating the wide reach of Russia’s latest offensive. The mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, confirmed explosions in the city, further amplifying fears among civilians. In a separate incident, in the eastern Donetsk region, a hotel in Kramatorsk was struck overnight by a Russian missile, wounding two journalists and leaving a third missing. The journalists were identified as British, American, and Ukrainian nationals.

On the other side of the border, the conflict’s reach has also expanded into Russian territory. In the Belgorod region, a Ukrainian strike killed five people and injured 13, including three minors, according to Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The attack targeted the settlement of Rakitnoye, reflecting Kyiv’s intensified strategy of launching strikes inside Russian territory, a tactic that has become more frequent since Ukraine’s surprise ground offensive in Russia’s Kursk region two weeks ago.

As Ukraine braces for further escalations, the ramifications of this major attack remain uncertain. Zelensky’s address hinted at a resolve to withstand these continuous waves of assault, as Ukraine continues to fight back against Russia’s multi-pronged strategy that blends missile strikes, drone swarms, and incursions into Ukrainian territory. While the situation remains fluid, the scale of this attack signals a significant development in the ongoing conflict, with broader implications for the region and the international community.