Russia launches massive barrage on Ukraine, defying Trump’s peace calls

Russia unleashed a relentless assault on Ukraine between late Tuesday and early Wednesday, firing hundreds of drones, extensive artillery, and a ballistic missile, Ukrainian authorities reported.

These attacks starkly defied recent calls from U.S. President Donald Trump for a peace deal to end the ongoing three-year conflict.

The bombardments claimed one life and left more than two dozen people wounded across multiple regions.

A missile attack notably severed power and water supplies in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rig, according to local authorities.

This latest surge in aggression comes just two days after President Trump threatened to impose severe sanctions against Russia unless it reached a peace settlement with Ukraine within 50 days.

Despite the Kremlin’s stated openness to further discussions, Ukrainian and Russian officials have not held direct peace talks in over a month.

The Ukrainian air force confirmed that Russia launched at least 400 drones at Ukraine from late Tuesday into early Wednesday, alongside an Iskander ballistic missile fired from the annexed Crimean peninsula.

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Overnight drone attacks on the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia resulted in eight wounded, while three people were injured in an assault on the northeastern city of Kharkiv, local authorities reported.

Russian attacks on Kryvyi Rig wounded at least 15 people, destroyed an industrial building, and significantly disrupted both power and water supplies.

Among the injured was a 17-year-old boy, who sustained severe abdominal wounds and is fighting for his life, as reported by the city’s mayor, Oleksandr Vilkul, on Telegram.

Vilkul underscored the unprecedented nature of the combined strike, stating, “This has never happened before. A ballistic missile and 28 Shaheds simultaneously,” referring to the Iranian-designed drones.

Russia has intensified its summer military campaign against Ukraine in recent weeks, coinciding with a standstill in Washington-mediated ceasefire talks.

The Russian army has continued its advance on the battlefield while simultaneously pounding Ukrainian territories with a relentless combination of drone, artillery, and missile strikes.

Earlier this week, President Trump had announced on Monday that he had reached an agreement with the NATO chief to supply more American air defense systems and weapons to Ukraine.

He cited his frustration with Russia’s persistent refusal to accept a ceasefire as the reason for this decision.