Russia attacks Ukraine with one of the largest aerial assaults of the war, killing four and injuring dozens

By Victoria Butenko, Kosta Gak, Tim Lister, Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN

Kyiv (CNN) — Russia fired more than 600 drones and missiles at targets across Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday morning – one of the largest barrages of the war.

At least four people were killed in Kyiv during the overnight attacks, according to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky. Local officials said 42 people were injured in the capital and surrounding region, and 31 in Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine. Drones were still being shot down over the Ukrainian capital on Sunday morning.

The barrage was the third largest reported by the Ukrainian air force since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, underlining Kyiv’s challenge even after this week getting stronger signs of support from the US.

The air force said Russia fired 595 drones and 48 missiles, including two ballistic missiles and powerful cruise missiles. It said air defenses had shot down or suppressed 43 cruise missiles and the vast majority of drones.

Ukraine has recently received a Patriot missile defense system from Israel, according to Zelensky, and is expecting the delivery of two more from Germany this year. The Patriot batteries are critical for its air defenses.

“This vile attack took place practically as the UN General Assembly week was concluding, and this is exactly how Russia declares its real position,” Zelensky said.

Amid the bombardment, Poland scrambled fighter jets in its airspace early Sunday, its armed forces said. Polish forces were already on alert after recent Russian drone incursions over its territory.

“These measures are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing the airspace and protecting citizens, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened areas,” Poland’s army said.

The Russian drone and missile attacks triggered air raid alerts across Ukraine.

A haze of smoke from explosions could be seen lingering over the capital on Sunday morning, photos from a CNN producer showed, with the Russian attacks continuing as residents walked their dogs and ran their morning errands.

Residential buildings and infrastructure were struck, said Andriy Yermak, chief of staff for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a Telegram post. He called the Russian attacks a “war against civilians.”

A 12-year-old girl was among those killed in Kyiv, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration.

A neighbor, Mykhailo Yurchenko, held his one-year old daugher as he surveyed the scene. “Because I have a small child, it is of course very worrying. You think about her more than yourself,” he told CNN.

Zelensky said the building of the Cardiology Institute in the capital was damaged. Two people were killed at the site.

“Putin must know that each such attack brings him closer to Russian assets being fully used for Ukraine’s defense,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. The European Union and the United Kingdom are preparing to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.

For its part the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had launched a “massive strike” against military industries in Ukraine and airfields.

In response to the Russian campaign of drone and missile strikes, the Ukrainians are strengthening their long-range capabilites and focusing on striking Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Kyiv is negotiating new arms purchases, with Zelensky saying on Saturday that a “megadeal” to buy US weapons systems had advanced during what he called a “very good meeting” with US President Donald Trump last week.

“We discussed the main issues with the president, agreed on them, and are now moving on to practical implementation,” Zelensky said. The deal is expected to be worth $90 billion, he added.

Trump said after meeting Zelensky that Ukraine was now in position to “fight and WIN” the war against Russia, including taking back all the land Russia occupies, a sharp turnaround after suggesting Ukraine would have cede land as part of any ceasefire proposal.

Ukraine is also negotiating to sell its drone technology to the US and has offered other European countries assistance in dealing with incursions by drones. Zelensky said last week that Ukrainian forces had shot down the majority of drones that had flown towards Poland last week.

Norway and Denmark also reported the presence of unknown drones near airport and military bases in the past week, while Russian military aircraft entered Estonian airspace earlier this month, according to the Estonian foreign ministry.

At a meeting in Latvia this weekend, senior NATO officials agreed to enhance defenses in the Baltic area. “Every threat to NATO’s air, land and sea space will be dealt with a resolute and proportionate response,” said the chairman of NATO’s military commitee, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had been accused of planning to attack NATO and European Union countries, but that President Vladimir Putin has “repeatedly debunked these provocations.”

“Russia has never had and does not have any such intentions,” said Lavrov.

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