By Michelle Ndaga
Russia has unleashed its heaviest bombardment on Ukraine in weeks, firing 574 drones and 40 missiles in a massive overnight assault that stretched far beyond the front lines, Ukrainian officials said Thursday.
Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down 577 of the 614 projectiles launched from western Russia, the Black Sea, and Russian-occupied Crimea.
The strikes left at least one person dead in Lviv and injured 15 others in the south-western Transcarpathia region.
The barrage damaged more than 20 civilian buildings in western Ukraine, including residential homes and a nursery.
In Mukachevo, missiles struck a U.S. owned electronics plant near Ukraine’s borders with Hungary and Slovakia, injuring 15 and causing significant damage.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the use of hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles underscored the urgency of diplomatic efforts to end the war. “These attacks highlight why peace talks are so critical,” he said.
The strikes coincided with renewed diplomatic momentum led by U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and later hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Washington.
Zelensky expressed readiness to meet Putin in neutral Europe, suggesting Switzerland, Austria, or Istanbul, but ruled out Budapest due to Hungary’s close ties with Moscow.
Despite Ukraine’s openness, Zelensky said there was “no sign” Moscow was ready for substantive talks. Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, annexed in 2014, and large parts of the Donbas region.
As the conflict nears its fourth year, the overnight bombardment served as a stark reminder of the human and economic toll of the war, even as global leaders push for a diplomatic breakthrough.
