On Sunday, Russia launched a “massive” aerial assault on Ukraine, deploying missiles and drones in the largest attack in months, killing at least nine people. Ukrainian officials described the attack as “hellish.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Moscow fired 120 missiles and nearly 100 drones, targeting Kyiv as well as southern, central, and far-western regions of the country. Civilians were killed in Mykolaiv, Lviv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, and Odesa.
“It was a hellish night,” said Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for Ukraine’s air force, on social media, adding that Kyiv’s defenses intercepted “144 targets.” The strikes led to widespread power outages, raising concerns about a harsh winter. Officials in Kyiv described the assault as one of the most extensive attacks since the invasion began nearly three years ago.
Zelensky accused Moscow of attempting to “intimidate us with cold and blackouts,” saying, “Over the past week, the aggressor launched nearly 140 missiles, more than 900 guided aerial bombs, and over 600 strike drones.”
The attack occurred two days after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a rare phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first in almost two years.
‘A True Response’
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga condemned the strikes, calling them “war criminal Putin’s true response to all those who called or visited him recently.” He emphasized the need for “peace through strength, not appeasement.”
Kyiv had criticized Scholz for engaging with Putin, echoing disapproval from within Germany. However, on Sunday, Scholz reiterated Germany’s support for Ukraine, ensuring no decisions on ending the war would be made without Kyiv’s involvement. “Ukraine can count on us,” he said before departing for a G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Military Escalation
Russia’s forces have been advancing steadily in eastern Ukraine, placing Kyiv on the defensive. Meanwhile, the potential implications of Donald Trump’s return to U.S. politics have raised concerns, as the former president has criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine.
In the early hours of Sunday, media reported explosions in Kyiv and Sloviansk, located in the Donetsk region. Moscow claimed responsibility for targeting “essential energy infrastructure supporting the Ukrainian military-industrial complex,” but civilian casualties were widespread. Officials in Kherson confirmed the death of a 51-year-old woman in a drone attack.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
