ISLAMABAD: Russia launched a massive missile and drone assault on Ukraine, calling the ongoing war a battle for the nation’s “future,” after Kyiv’s dramatic drone attacks on Russian airbases.
The Kremlin stated the conflict has become “existential,” intensifying an already devastating war entering its fourth year.
Ukrainian officials confirmed Russia fired 45 missiles and 407 drones overnight, targeting nine regions including Kyiv, Lviv, and Volyn. At least three people were killed in the capital, including emergency workers.
Explosions lit up the night sky, and firefighters struggled to control blazes in hit areas.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called for stronger international pressure on Moscow, warning that inaction would enable more bloodshed.
Kremlin Claims National Survival at Stake
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared that the war was no longer just a regional conflict but an issue of national survival. “It is an existential issue… our future and the future of our children,” Peskov said, pushing back on comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who downplayed the war as a petty conflict.
This rhetoric followed a Ukrainian drone strike that reportedly damaged Russian nuclear-capable aircraft thousands of kilometers inside Russia, including in Siberia. Moscow claimed the retaliatory barrage was a direct response, labeling it a “massive” strike.
Escalation Despite Ceasefire Talks
Despite rounds of peace talks, Putin has rejected ceasefire proposals, demanding Ukraine withdraw from contested territories, abandon its NATO aspirations, and halt all military support from the West.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian strikes continued, with Kyiv targeting airfields and oil facilities inside Russia.
As fighting intensifies, millions remain displaced, cities reduced to rubble, and over a fifth of Ukraine remains under Russian control. Air defense shortages are now one of Kyiv’s most pressing vulnerabilities.
