Russia Launches Largest Drone Attack on Ukraine Following Statements from US and German Leaders

At least one person was killed after Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack took place hours after US President Donald Trump announced plans for increased military support for Kyiv and made comments regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's stance on peace negotiations.

Details of the Attack

The aerial assault involved 728 drones and 13 missiles, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. This surpassed the previous record of 539 drones set on July 4. Ukrainian authorities stated that the majority of the drones were intercepted, resulting in limited damage.

One civilian in the Khmelnytskyi district in western Ukraine died due to injuries from debris from a Shahed drone, local authorities reported.

"This is a demonstrative attack, and it comes at a time when there have been so many attempts to achieve peace and cease fire, but Russia rejects everything," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

"Our partners know how to apply pressure so that Russia will be forced to think about ending the war, not new strikes. Everyone who wants peace must act."

The attack primarily targeted the city of Lutsk in northwestern Ukraine. The intensity of the strikes prompted Poland’s military to deploy aircraft in its airspace. This event follows several weeks of increased aerial attacks on Ukraine by Russia.

Ivan Rudnitskyi, head of the military administration in Volyn region, stated on Telegram: "Last night, our region was again subjected to a mass attack. Virtually everything was flying towards Lutsk."

Ukraine’s Air Force reported the destruction of 718 drones. In Brovary, near Kyiv, one woman was hospitalized with chest injuries, according to the city's mayor.

Ukraine launched 86 drones towards Russia overnight, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

International Responses

The escalation in attacks occurred after recent developments in the United States. President Trump commented on President Putin’s approach to peace negotiations and announced plans for additional support to Ukraine.

"We get a lot of [misleading statements] from Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump said in a Cabinet meeting. "He’s very nice all of the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."

On Monday, Trump stated his intention to restore military aid to Ukraine. This followed reports that the US would pause certain weapons shipments to Kyiv, including air defense missiles.

Kyiv has requested additional US-made Patriot interceptor missiles to counter Russian attacks.

"We’re going to send some more weapons (to Ukraine)," Trump said on Monday evening. "We have to — they have to be able to defend themselves."

"They’re getting hit very hard. We’re going to have to send more weapons," Trump added. "Defensive weapons, primarily, but they’re getting hit very, very hard."

A Pentagon spokesperson later stated that "at President Trump’s direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while efforts continue to secure a lasting peace."

According to multiple sources, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did not inform President Trump before authorizing the weapons pause last week.

On Wednesday, Germany’s chancellor pledged continued support for Ukraine, stating that diplomatic options for resolving the conflict are "exhausted."

"If a criminal regime, with military violence, openly questions the existential right of an entire country and sets out to destroy the democratic political order of the entire European continent, this government, led by me, will do everything in its power to prevent exactly this," Friedrich Merz told lawmakers in Germany’s lower house of parliament.

Legal and Security Developments

Europe’s top human rights court ruled on Wednesday that Russia committed significant international law violations in Ukraine. The court found a pattern of human rights violations by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The cases were brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia.

Also on Wednesday, Ukrainian authorities reported the arrest of two Chinese nationals accused of attempting to gather information on the production of Kyiv’s Neptune missile systems. The Security Service of Ukraine stated that one individual was apprehended while transferring classified documents.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the number of drones fired at Ukraine.