On the 1203rd day of war, a massive aerial attack with rockets and drones hit Kiev and Odesa. Two people were killed, and at least 12 were injured.
Seven out of the 10 districts of the Ukrainian capital were heavily affected by explosions. There are partial destruction and fires in multi-story buildings and private residences. Several cars and warehouses caught fire.
The aerial raid warning lasted over five hours in Kiev during the night, but Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced in the morning that another wave of Russian drones is heading towards the capital and urged residents to remain in shelters.
Additionally, the region around Kiev was also attacked, where several houses and cars were damaged.
Meanwhile, in the city of Odesa in the south of the country, two men were killed, and at least nine people were injured. Medical units, including a maternity hospital, were damaged, but no casualties were reported as the buildings had been evacuated.
Since last night, Russian forces have attacked Ukraine with 322 aerial targets, most of which were intercepted, the Ukrainian Air Forces reported Tuesday morning.
The new massive aerial attack on Ukraine took place just a day after Russia launched a record number of 499 aerial targets against Ukraine.
Ukraine responded with drone attacks in the Tatarstan Republic and the Leningrad region in Russia. Local authorities reported no casualties or damages, and the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the destruction of over 100 drones overnight.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the aerial attack, stating it was one of the largest launched on Kiev and mentioned that the regions of Odesa, Dnipro, and Chernihiv were also targeted. He emphasized the importance of global actions in response, stating that Russia's attacks are heard louder than America's actions for peace.
Zelensky also highlighted the situation on the front line, stating that the heaviest battles are taking place in Pokrovsk, as well as in the Russian region of Kursk and the Ukrainian region of Sumy.
The nighttime drone attacks by Ukraine led to a temporary suspension of flights at all airports serving Moscow and the second-largest city in the country, St. Petersburg, but also in several other cities. Air traffic was restored in the morning.
Waves of Rockets and Drones in Kiev and Odesa
- Strong Attack on Kiev - The capital of Ukraine was targeted last night by a massive aerial attack. Explosions followed by fires occurred in several districts, while air defense systems targeted the threats. At least four people were injured, according to local authorities cited by Kyiv Independent. In central Kiev, an AFP journalist heard 12 explosions and Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense shots, as well as the noise of a dozen drones. Seven out of the 10 districts of the Ukrainian capital were heavily affected. There are partial destruction and fires in multi-story buildings and private residences. Cars and warehouses are on fire. The Obolon district in northern Kiev was one of the main targets of the Russian attack, said local administration head Kirill Fisik. The aerial raid warning lasted over five hours in Kiev, but Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced in the morning that a new wave of Russian drones is heading towards the capital and urged residents to remain in shelters. Additionally, the region around the Ukrainian capital was also attacked, especially the Fastovski, Brovarski, Boripil, and Obuhovskie districts, where several houses and cars were damaged, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
- Maternity Hospital Hit in Odesa - The city in the south of the country, located 442 km from Kiev, was the target of a strong aerial attack. Two men were killed, at least nine people were injured, and one person had a panic attack. Medical units, including a maternity hospital, were damaged in Odesa, but no casualties were reported as the buildings had been evacuated, officials reported, as AFP relayed. Additionally, the administrative building of an emergency medical station was completely destroyed, and a fire broke out on-site. Several ambulances were damaged, but there were no injuries among the staff, the governor of Odesa said at 3:40 local time. "The enemy massively attacked Odesa with attack drones. There was damage to civil infrastructure and fires. The Russians hit a maternity hospital, an emergency medical section, and residential buildings," Kiper conveyed.
- Hundreds of Targets in the Ukrainian Sky - Since Monday evening, Russian forces have attacked Ukraine with 322 aerial targets, of which 284 were intercepted, the Ukrainian Air Forces reported early in the morning. Specifically, Russia launched 315 drones, two KN-23 ballistic missiles, and five Iskander-K cruise missiles. Kiev was the main target. Air defense units shot down two KN-23 ballistic missiles and five Iskander-K cruise missiles. Moreover, they shot down 213 armed drones, and another 64 disappeared from radar or were suppressed through electronic jamming, the source cited by Ukrainska Pravda specified.
- Russia's Voice Louder than America's - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted swiftly, stating on Telegram that "Russian missile and Shahed attacks are louder than the attempts of the United States and others to force Russia to make peace," Kyiv Post reports. He said the attack is one of the largest launched on Kiev and mentioned that the regions of Odesa, Dnipro, and Chernihiv were also targeted. He emphasized the importance of global actions in response to such attacks, stating that silence would not be enough. "It is vital that the response to this Russian attack, as with other similar attacks, not be the silence of the world, but concrete action. Action from America, which has the power to compel Russia to peace. Action from Europe, which has no other option but to be strong," Zelensky said. "There must be strong pressure for the sake of peace," he added.
- Russia Lies Every Day - President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, commented early Tuesday morning on the Russian attacks on Kiev and Odesa, emphasizing that civilian targets are being hit. "Russian attacks on civilian targets continue. Russia lies every day that it wants peace and every day targets civilians," the official wrote, as reported by Kyiv Post.
Frontline Situation
- Intense Battles in Pokrovsk, Kursk, and Sumy - President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the most intense battles continue in the direction of Pokrovsk, in the Kursk operation zones, and along the border in the Sumy region. "The most fierce and intense battles continue in the direction of Pokrovsk, in the Kursk operation zones, and along the border in the Sumy region. Russian tactics remain the same everywhere: they ignore losses and try to advance, assaulting our Ukrainian positions in an attempt to conquer even a single meter, anything. But their potential is not infinite. That is why a certain level of Russian losses - and our actions - should prevent and are preventing their advancement," the Ukrainian president conveyed in a video message on Facebook on Monday night.
What's Happening in Russia
- Drone Attacks in Tatarstan and Leningrad - The Republic of Tatarstan and the Leningrad region were targeted by drone attacks on Tuesday morning, as reported by the independent publication Astra cited by Kyiv Independent. In Tatarstan, drones were reported flying over the cities of Yelabuga and Nizhnekamsk, the latter being located about 1,124 km from the Ukrainian border. Images distributed by Astra appear to show air defense attempting to shoot down a drone flying over a field in Tatarstan. In the Leningrad region, air defense destroyed a drone flying over the Tosnenskii district and another over the Lomonosov district, said local governor Alexander Drozhenko. No casualties or damages were reported, he added. "Mobile communications and the internet have been restricted in several areas," the official stated. Russian air defense units destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced. Nearly half of the drones were destroyed over the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, and three drones were shot down over the Moscow region.
- Air Traffic Blocked in Moscow - Ukrainian drone attacks during the night led to a temporary suspension of flights at all airports serving Moscow and the second-largest city in the country, St. Petersburg, but caused no damage, Russian officials reported Tuesday, as cited by Reuters. The Russian civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, temporarily halted flights at all four major airports serving Moscow and at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, as well as at airports in nine other cities, to ensure aviation safety. Flights to Moscow and several other cities were restored in the morning. Regional governors, who reported the attacks on Telegram, did not report any damage.
Other relevant information
- Ukraine's path to NATO is irreversible - The political commitment to Ukraine's future NATO membership remains unchanged, even if not explicitly mentioned in the final statement of the upcoming summit in The Hague, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated. This comes after reports in the press suggested that references to Russia and Ukraine could be excluded from this year's summit statement, to be published after the meeting on June 24-25. Such a move would mark a significant departure from previous meetings where Ukraine's future in NATO was a central issue. Ukraine applied for membership in the alliance in September 2022, a few months after Russia launched its large-scale invasion. While NATO has repeatedly stated that Kyiv will eventually join, no official invitation has been extended yet.
- Orban says Russia lacks power - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, attending a meeting of the "Patriots for Europe" group in Paris, stated that he is not afraid of a further escalation of the conflict in Ukraine because "Russia is too weak - it cannot even defeat Ukraine, let alone attack NATO countries." Details HERE.
- How Putin "works" against Europe - Researchers have documented over 40 Russian intelligence operations in Europe in 2024, compared to only three in the entire year of 2021 before the invasion of Ukraine. Acts of sabotage against Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, pro-Russian propaganda, and even crimes: the list of Russian intelligence operations in Europe continues to grow. Details HERE.