CNN
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Russia has launched its biggest drone attack on Ukraine since the invasion began, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday, just hours after US President Donald Trump pledged more military support to Kiev and accused Russian Vladimir Putin of throwing “Bursh*t” in peace talks.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the massive air attack included 728 drones and 13 missiles, overturning previous record numbers for the 539 drones set on July 4th, but it was largely repelled, with limited damage and no immediate reports of deaths.
“This is an empirical attack, and happens when there are so many attempts to achieve peace and stop the fire, but Russia rejects everything,” Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky wrote in Telegram.
“Our partners know how to apply pressure so that Russia is forced to think about ending the war rather than a new strike. Everyone who wants peace must act.”
barrage, It was so intense that the Polish forces scrambled aircraft in airspace, mainly targeting Lutsk city in northwestern Ukraine. It comes after weeks of intensifying Russia’s airstrike in Ukraine.
“Last night, our area was once again subjected to massive attacks,” Ivan Rudnitsky, head of the military regime in the Volin region, home to Lutsk, told Telegram. “Perfectly everything was flying towards Rootsk.”
The Ukrainian Air Force said it destroyed 718 drones. There were no immediate reports of deaths. One woman was hospitalized with a chest injury in Brobury, near Kiev, the mayor said.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine fired 86 drones at Russia overnight.
Moscow’s attack on Kiev followed an astonishing 48 hours at the White House, when Trump pledged more support to Ukraine, as Russian leader Vladimir Putin over his lack of commitment to the peace deal.
“If we want to know the truth, we’re throwing lots of burs* at Putin,” Trump told the cabinet meeting. “He’s always so lovely, but it turns out to be pointless.”
On Monday, Trump pledged to restore military aid to Ukraine. Last week, a senior White House official told CNN that the US would suspend shipping weapons to Kiev, including air defense missiles.
Kiev urgently needs more US-made patriot intercept missiles to fight off Russian attacks.
“We’re going to send more weapons (to Ukraine),” Trump said Monday evening. “We have to do — they have to be able to protect themselves.”
“They’re being hit very hard. We have to send more weapons,” Trump added. “It’s mainly defensive weapons, but they’re being hit very hard.”
A Pentagon spokesman later said: “At President Trump’s direction, the Pentagon will send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine, allowing Ukrainians to protect themselves while they strive to ensure lasting peace and stop the killings.”
According to five sources familiar with the issue, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses did not notify Trump last week before allowing the weapons to be suspended.
Meanwhile, the German Prime Minister pledged on Wednesday to continue Berlin’s support for Ukraine, saying that diplomatic measures to resolve the war are “exhausted.”
“If a criminal government with military violence openly question the existential rights of the whole country and seeks to destroy the democratic political order across the continent, this government, which I lead, will do everything with its power to prevent this accurately.”
Fix: This story has been updated to correct the number of drones fired in Ukraine.
