Russia Unleashes Massive Drone And Missile Barrage On Ukraine In One Of War’s Largest Assaults.
Russia launched a colossal overnight assault on Ukraine, deploying over 450 drones and 40 missiles in what Ukrainian authorities described as one of the largest attacks of the three-year war. The barrage, which struck infrastructure across multiple regions, killed at least two people and injured 14 in the southern port city of Odesa, while causing widespread damage to residential and critical facilities, officials reported on Sunday, 29 June 2025.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia unleashed 452 drones and 45 missiles, including Kh-101/55 cruise missiles from Tu-95MS bombers, Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea, and Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. The assault targeted regions from Lviv in the west to Sumy in the northeast, with Odesa bearing the brunt of the civilian toll. Oleh Kiper, Odesa’s regional governor, confirmed that a drone strike killed a couple and injured 14 others, damaging homes, vehicles, and other infrastructure. In Kyiv, air-raid sirens blared for hours as drones buzzed overhead, with anti-aircraft units and heavy machine guns engaging the onslaught, according to NPR. Ukrainian forces downed 406 of the 452 projectiles, including 32 cruise missiles, showcasing robust air defences but highlighting their strain under Russia’s relentless tactics.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as “pure terrorism,” accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of exploiting the lack of decisive international pressure to prolong the war. “Russia targeted almost all of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram, urging global leaders to impose stronger sanctions and support Ukraine’s air defences. The strikes follow a pattern of escalation, with Russia launching nearly 27,700 aerial bombs, 11,200 Shahed drones, and over 700 missiles in 2025 alone, according to Zelenskyy. The United Nations noted a 50% rise in civilian casualties in the first five months of 2025 compared to 2024, with recent attacks devastating energy infrastructure and leaving millions without power.
The assault appears to be retaliation for Ukraine’s audacious “Operation Spider’s Web” on 1 June, which destroyed or damaged 41 Russian aircraft, including nuclear-capable Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, at airfields deep inside Russia. Russian state media, citing the Defence Ministry, claimed the strikes targeted Ukraine’s military-industrial complexes, but civilian infrastructure, including apartment buildings and a metro station in Kyiv, suffered significant damage. Posts on X echoed Ukrainian outrage, with users calling the attacks “barbaric” and demanding accountability for targeting civilians.
The barrage has further dimmed hopes for a ceasefire, despite recent peace talks in Istanbul yielding a prisoner swap agreement. Russia rejected Ukraine’s demand for an unconditional ceasefire, offering only a limited truce, while Trump’s calls for a resolution have faltered, with the US president likening the conflict to a “children’s brawl.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Moscow of responding to Ukraine’s defensive strikes with attacks on civilians, a sentiment reinforced by images of burning apartment blocks and rescuers combing through rubble in Kyiv and Odesa.
As Russia intensifies its campaign to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences, the war’s toll continues to mount. Over 56,000 Ukrainian civilians and soldiers have been killed since February 2022, per UN estimates, with millions displaced. Despite intercepting most projectiles, Ukraine faces growing challenges in sustaining its defences without increased Western support. Zelenskyy, speaking at a G7 summit in Canada, reiterated his plea for unity: “Now is the moment when America, Europe, and the world can stop this war by pressuring Russia.”