Russia hits 6 Ukraine regions in one of largest aerial attacks

Russia bombarded six regions of Ukraine in one of its largest aerial attacks of the three-year war, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.

- Associated Press

The nighttime assault lasted for hours and killed three emergency responders in the capital Kyiv as well as another person in a northwestern city, according to authorities.

The barrage included 407 drones and 44 ballistic and cruise missiles, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said. Ukrainian forces said they shot down about 30 of the cruise missiles and up to 200 of the drones. Some 50 Ukrainian civilians were injured across the country, emergency services said.

The latest Russian attack came hours after US President Donald Trump said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia “fight for a while” before pulling them apart and pursuing peace.

Trump's comments were a remarkable detour from his often-stated appeals to stop the war and signaled he may be giving up on recent peace efforts.

Ukrainian cities have come under regular bombardment since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022. The attacks have killed more than 12,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.

“Russia doesn't change its stripes,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.