Russia launches largest drone and missile attack on Ukraine
Russian forces, now in their fourth year of waging full-scale war against Ukraine, launched a new mass attack with drones and missiles against Ukraine. On the night of Monday, May 26, air raid alarms sounded across Ukraine. Ukrainian Air Force reported clusters of missiles launched from Russian strategic aircraft in the Cherkasy, Kyiv, and Vinnytsia regions, as well as Russian strike drones in numerous Ukrainian regions. By morning, the threat of drone strikes had been lifted across all areas.
Later, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that the Russian attack involved 355 drones, launched from Bryansk, Millerovo, Kursk, Orel, Shatalovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, along with annexed Crimea. Additionally, Russia deployed nine X-101 air-launched cruise missiles, fired from Tu-95MS strategic aircraft. According to preliminary data, Ukrainian forces shot down all cruise missiles and neutralized 288 drones, including Shahed types.
Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told AFP that this drone attack is the largest since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
Authorities in various Ukrainian regions have begun reporting the aftermath of these strikes. Serhiy Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, reported fires in the Kamianske district and destruction in the Nikopol district due to the use of Grad multiple rocket launchers, artillery, and drones. "Apartment buildings, private homes, and cars are damaged. There are no casualties," Lysak wrote on his Telegram channel. Additionally, the Synelnykovo district suffered damage.
Serhiy Tyurin, chairman of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Military Administration, reported a combined Russian attack on the region for the second night in a row. "According to preliminary data, there are no civilian casualties. However, private households and businesses have been damaged," he wrote on Telegram.
Ivan Fedorov, the head of Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, reported two injuries following a Russian attack in the Zaporizhzhia region. "After midnight, the enemy struck the village of Yurkovka. A private house was hit and destroyed. The blast wave damaged nearby homes and cars. A 60-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man were injured, and they are receiving the necessary medical assistance," Fedorov indicated.
Over the past two nights, Russia has launched significant strikes on Ukraine. On the night of May 25, Russian forces utilized 300 strike drones and nearly 70 missiles of various types, including ballistic, making it the largest aerial assault on Ukrainian cities since the start of the full-scale war, according to Reuters. At least 12 people were killed as a result of the Russian strike.
U.S. President Donald Trump, a day after the Russian attack, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has lost his mind. " I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely crazy!" Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social. The American President said he always believed that Putin "wants all of Ukraine, not just part of it." "But if he does that, it will lead to Russia's collapse," Trump assured. He also noted that he is considering the possibility of imposing additional sanctions against Moscow.