A wave of 500 drones hit Ukraine overnight — the most Russia has used in a single strike since the war began — underscoring the Kremlin’s defiance of ceasefire efforts and its intent to keep pressing the front.
The bombardment battered parts of Kyiv, Odesa, and the Kharkiv region, shaking hopes for any real movement in stalled US-backed peace efforts. Ukrainian officials called it a “night of terror.” Moscow hasn’t officially commented on the scale of the attack, but the damage on the ground told its own story.
Kyiv Faces Fury From the Skies
By the time dawn broke over Ukraine’s capital, entire residential blocks in Kyiv’s outskirts stood wrecked — roofs torn off, windows blown out, streets blanketed in debris.
According to local emergency services, dozens of homes were damaged and at least 19 people were injured.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted many of the drones — but clearly, not all. Some slipped through. The Kamikaze-style drones reportedly targeted power substations, railway infrastructure, and communications towers.
“It was like a swarm of angry wasps,” said Dmytro, a 47-year-old resident in the Holosiiv district. “We’ve had attacks before, but never anything like this.”
US-Led Ceasefire Plans Hit the Wall
The timing couldn’t have been worse for the US, which just last week pushed renewed backchannel talks in Switzerland. Washington hoped Russia might engage after Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal back in March.
Moscow, however, barely responded then — and now, this.
President Trump, in one of his trademark late-night posts on Truth Social, slammed the drone attack and labeled Vladimir Putin “completely crazy.” He added that Russia was “making a huge mistake that will haunt them for decades.”
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The 30-day ceasefire proposal was initially backed by France, Germany, and the US
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Russia never formally rejected it, but continued shelling frontline cities
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The recent drone blitz is being viewed by diplomats as a de facto answer
One European diplomat in Brussels put it bluntly: “Any window for peace? It just shattered again.”
A Record-Breaking Month of Bombardments
If May was brutal, June’s already rewriting the war’s aerial playbook. Ukraine’s military command says Russia has broken its own record for aerial strikes three times this month.
That’s not just a few drones or missiles more than usual — we’re talking hundreds more.
Here’s what the trajectory of drone attacks looked like this month alone:
| Date | Drones Launched | Intercepted by Ukraine | Confirmed Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2 | 200 | 160 | 12 buildings |
| June 6 | 350 | 275 | 3 power plants |
| June 10 | 500 | 390 | 7 key targets |
The scale-up is significant. Ukrainian intelligence believes Russia has ramped up domestic drone production and is getting technical support from Iran and China. Officials in Tehran and Beijing deny it — but Kyiv isn’t buying that.
Frontline Holds, But Tensions Boil
On the ground, Ukraine’s troops are stretched — but still holding. The roughly 1,000-kilometer-long front line has shifted just a few kilometers over the past three months, but at tremendous human cost.
Two brigades in the Donetsk region told local media they were “dug in and exhausted.” Russian forces have been inching forward near Bakhmut, while launching small armored probes further south.
Meanwhile, reinforcements from Belarus haven’t materialized — yet.
A Kyiv-based analyst, Nataliia Horpynko, said Russia may be using the drone campaign to soften Ukrainian defenses before a larger summer offensive.
“There’s a method here,” she said. “Disorient the defenders. Strain their air defenses. Make them second-guess everything.”
Civilian Rage, Military Resolve
Back in Kyiv, tempers flared. The sheer volume of the overnight attack left many residents rattled, and frankly, furious.
“They say it’s about territory — but they’re killing us in our beds,” said Oksana, a 34-year-old schoolteacher. Her daughter clutched a stuffed bear missing one ear after their home’s windows exploded inward.
Social media flooded with footage of fireballs lighting up the night sky, followed by shaky smartphone clips of residents in pajamas huddling in underground shelters.
Still, the Ukrainian military struck a defiant tone.
“We’ll adapt,” said Colonel Serhiy Myronenko. “If they send 500 next time, we’ll shoot down 450. They can’t break us.”
Allies Watch, But Act Slowly
As images from Kyiv and Kharkiv ricocheted across news outlets, reactions from Western capitals trickled in — measured, cautious, repetitive.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the strikes, calling them “inhumane.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russia to “show restraint.” The UK said it would “review drone interception aid.”
But critics say review won’t cut it.
The Biden administration had earlier greenlit a new air defense package, but the Pentagon acknowledged it may take weeks before advanced NASAMS units arrive in theater. Ukrainian officials are pleading for faster deliveries — and more long-range weapons.
“We’ve been clear,” Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Monday. “Peace talks are welcome. But if they bring drones instead, we need missiles.”
