On Wednesday, Russian forces launched a significant drone assault on Ukraine, targeting places including Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This attack seemed to be a direct response to President Trump’s ultimatum to Russia, which demanded a peace agreement within 50 days or face severe sanctions.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, these strikes were conducted illegally from the Crimean Peninsula, involving at least 400 drones.
Ukrainian forces reported intercepting most of the drones, although 57 managed to get through, along with an Iskander missile.
Kryvyi Rih’s Mayor, Oleksandr Vilkul, stated that this was the most intense attack his town had experienced since the invasion began in 2022.
He mentioned the name Shahed, referencing the Iranian-made kamikaze drones that have been a notable part of this conflict. Early in the war, Iran supplied a significant number of these drones, followed by Russia’s own production of the Shahed.
At least 15 people were reported injured during this drone onslaught, which hit both civilian areas and energy infrastructure, with a tragic loss of life occurring in Dubropylia. The city’s mayor noted that among the injured was a 17-year-old boy fighting for his life in the hospital.
The drone strikes also affected Vinnitsa in the west and Odesa in the south, in addition to Kharkiv, which is Ukraine’s second-largest city.
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“Russia will likely maintain its current strategy. To effectively counter this threat, we need to boost our air defense capabilities—more interceptors, and more solutions so that Russia knows we can respond,” he remarked on Wednesday.
President Trump indicated on Monday that if Russia does not agree to the peace deal within 50 days, it will face “very harsh tariffs.” Reports suggest a sanctions package could include secondary tariffs impacting nations like India and China that import Russian products.
“We are quite dissatisfied with them,” Trump expressed, referring to Russia.
