Kyiv (Agencies) July 9, 2025 — Ukraine has suffered its most intense aerial assault since the war began, with 728 drones and 13 cruise or ballistic missiles launched by Russian forces in a coordinated overnight attack that struck cities across the country. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike as a “telling attack,” noting its timing amid renewed international efforts to broker a ceasefire.
The city of Lutsk, a key logistics hub near the Polish border, bore the brunt of the assault, while explosions were also reported in Lviv, Rivne, and the Kyiv region. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted many of the incoming threats, but several penetrated, causing casualties and infrastructure damage. At least eight civilians were confirmed dead, with dozens more injured.
The escalation came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump reversed a controversial suspension of military aid to Ukraine, pledging to send additional weapons, including 10 Patriot missile systems, to bolster Kyiv’s air defenses. The reversal followed media reports that Trump had been unaware of the initial aid freeze, reportedly authorized by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Undersecretary Elbridge Colby.
In a press briefing, Trump expressed mounting frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating:
“We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin… He’s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Despite frequent communication between the two leaders, Trump admitted that recent talks had yielded no progress toward a ceasefire. “He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people—it’s no good,” he said of Putin.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded coolly, saying Moscow remained “pretty calm” about Trump’s remarks, characterizing his rhetoric as “generally quite harsh.” Peskov added that Russia’s military campaign would continue, stating, “Each new day the Ukrainians have to accept the new realities”.
Meanwhile, Trump signaled support for a proposed sanctions bill by Senator Lindsey Graham that would impose 500% tariffs on countries trading with Russia. Although Trump has previously hesitated to enact sanctions, citing economic costs, he now says Putin “understands it may be coming.”
The Kremlin also reported a Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Kursk region, which killed three people and injured seven others, further fueling cross-border tensions.
With diplomacy stalled and both sides escalating militarily, the prospect of a negotiated peace appears increasingly remote. Two rounds of ceasefire talks earlier this year failed to yield results, and no new meetings are currently scheduled.