Ukraine Under Siege: Key Points and Summary – Russia launched its most extensive aerial assault on Kyiv since the 2022 invasion, bombarding the capital for eight hours straight with a staggering 539 drones and 11 missiles.
-The attack, which hit nearly every district, injured at least 23 civilians.
-This “brutal, sleepless night,” as President Zelenskyy described it, came just hours after a “disappointing” phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, and amid a US pause on sending vital air defense systems to Ukraine.
-The massive barrage is seen as a deliberate escalation by Moscow, testing Ukraine’s defenses and Western resolve.
Russia Unleashes Worst Air Assault on Kyiv Since Invasion Began
Russia pummeled Kyiv overnight in what Ukrainian officials are calling the most extensive aerial assault on the capital since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Air raid sirens sounded throughout the city for eight hours in a row as 539 drones and 11 missiles were launched toward it by Moscow.
Kyiv Under Fire, 23 People Wounded in Ukraine
Almost every district across the capital was hit. At least 23 civilians were injured, although no deaths have been reported thus far, and shattering what little sense of normalcy remained.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that it successfully intercepted or damaged 478 incoming threats, but the scale of the assault left destruction in its wake.
Zelensky’s Sleepless Night in Ukraine
“It was a brutal, sleepless night,” complained President Volodymyr Zelensky in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
He also said that the Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions were targeted alongside the capital Kyiv, where his government is based.
The attack’s timing has sparked concerns in Washington.
The tension re-erupted mere hours after U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest phone chat with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he described as “disappointing”.
Despite the spike in Russian attack, the Trump administration recently announced a pause in some arms deliveries to Ukraine, citing the need to assess U.S. stockpiles.
The decision includes halting shipments of vital air defense systems. This move now appears tragically mistimed.
Top Ukrainian officials continue to call for urgent Western support. Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, accused Putin of seeking to “keep killing Ukrainians for as long as he’s allowed to.” Zelensky himself argued that Russia’s intensifying tactics prove that only “truly large-scale pressure” will change Moscow’s course.
Poland: Upscale Sanctions on Russia
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski added his voice to the chorus of concern, boldly accusing Putin of “mocking” U.S.-led ceasefire efforts and dramatically urging the West to “restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition” and escalate sanctions against Russia.
But war fatigue is rising among Western officials, and diplomacy is still failing to restrain Moscow.
Ukraine’s pleas for help are now carrying a renewed urgency, but will it be enough?
Last night’s bombardment was not just an act of war — it was a message.
The question is whether Washington and its allies are still listening.
About the Author:
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
Fighter Jet Fails
Russia’s Su-57 Felon Stealth Fighter Is a Waste of Rubles
Jim
July 4, 2025 at 6:03 pm
How much does Ukraine have to be mauled before it realizes it can’t win.
Do they really want to fight to the last bunker?
Sue for peace. Yes, it would be a Russian victor’s peace, but most of the territory would remain Ukrainian as opposed to losing all territory East of the Dnieper River should Kiev keep fighting to the bitter end.
Or even worse, lose all the country and it ceases to exist as Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia all take pieces of territory West of Kiev.
Perhaps, that’s as it should be. The idea of Ukrainianism was revived by the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a way to drain away support from people called “Rus” who identified more with Russian culture and language rather than Austro-Hungarian culture, such as it was.
Ukraine is a historical mistake, first promoted by the Austro-Hungarian Empire inside their own territory and later perpetuated by Vladimir Lenin so as they could be “jail keepers” for Southern Russia which had been at the heart of the “White Russia” opposition to the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War.
Sadly, there are always huge consequences as a result of historical mistakes.
Ukraine is one of them. It should have never existed.
Pingback: Ukraine Could Become the AI Drone War - National Security Journal