Ukraine and Russia exchanged a fresh wave of airstrikes Friday night, July 4, into Saturday, July 5, as Moscow hit Kyiv with its largest drone strike since the war began, and Ukraine claims to have taken out a stockpile of Russian weapons at an airbase. Although the United States paused its weapons shipments to Kyiv earlier in the week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that he had a “very important and fruitful conversation” with U.S. President Donald Trump.
‘It was a brutal, sleepless night’
Moscow launched more than 550 drone attacks on Kyiv Friday night into Saturday morning, in what was described by Zelenskyy as “one of the most large-scale air attacks” since Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Those attacks have killed at least two people and wounded 31 others, The Associated Press quoted Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko as saying.
“Only around 9 a.m. [Saturday] did the air raid alert end in Kyiv,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “It was a brutal, sleepless night.”
Meanwhile, according to the Ukrainian air force, Russia launched 322 drones and decoys overnight Friday. One hundred and fifty-seven were reportedly shot down, while another 135 were lost or jammed. The strikes largely targeted the Khmelnytskyi region in Ukraine’s west; however, no damage or casualties were reported, according to regional Gov. Serhii Tyurin.
Kyiv takes out stockpile of Russian bombs
Kyiv also said Saturday that it took out a stockpile of Russia’s guided bombs, in its ongoing efforts to “weaken” Moscow’s aerial capabilities. According to a statement from Ukraine’s General Staff, the attack hit Russia’s Borisoglebsk airfield, where the military houses some of its fighter jets and bombers, including Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM warplanes.
Russia has not yet confirmed damage to the airbase, and independent reports have not been verified.
On the other side of the front lines, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down 94 Ukrainian drones between Friday and Saturday night, as well as 45 through Saturday morning. Twenty-five apartment buildings were reportedly damaged in the city of Engels, roughly 1,000 kilometers southeast of Moscow, but there were no casualties.
Closer to the country’s capital, four drones were shot down, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, resulting in a temporary pause in flights at a local airport.
Trump speaks with Putin, Zelenskyy
The wave of attacks came three days after the Pentagon halted shipments of missiles and ammunition to Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a formal review of U.S. munitions levels weeks prior, as the Pentagon faces increasing strain from ongoing military aid to Ukraine, Israel and operations in the Middle East, according to four government officials.
However, on Friday, Zelenskyy took to X, where he detailed a conversation he had with Trump.
“Today we discussed the current situation, including Russian airstrikes and the broader frontline developments,” the Ukrainian president wrote. “President Trump is very well informed, and I thank him for his attention to Ukraine. We spoke about opportunities in air defense and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies. We have also agreed to a meeting between our teams.”
Trump’s conversation with Zelenskyy followed a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, July 3, which yielded little progress. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had [Thursday] with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there, and I’m very disappointed. I’m just saying I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad.”
The recent strikes have diminished hopes that Kyiv and Moscow will resume ceasefire negotiations that picked up in Istanbul one month ago. Those talks have stalled since a Russian rocket artillery strike hit residential areas in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy on June 3, killing at least three civilians and injuring several others.
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Author: Drew Pittock
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