In the early hours of Friday, June 6, 2025, Russia unleashed a massive wave of drone and ballistic missile strikes targeting multiple locations throughout Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv. At least four people were killed in Kyiv, with around 40 others wounded nationwide, as reported by local officials and emergency services. Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed the fatalities and ongoing search and rescue operations via Telegram, while Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko noted that three firefighters were among the dead, though it remained unclear if they were included in the mayor’s toll.
The attacks caused significant destruction in residential areas, with images showing entire apartment walls torn away and streets littered with shattered glass and debris. Kyiv residents reported multiple explosions before dawn, and firefighting crews were seen battling blazes caused by the strikes. The northern city of Chernihiv, near Belarus, experienced 14 explosions from a combination of drones, cruise missiles, and Iskander-M ballistic missiles, according to Vyacheslav Chaus, head of the regional military administration. Further west, in Lutsk near the Polish border, five people were wounded when at least four missiles struck the city, as confirmed by Mayor Ihor Polishchuk.
According to Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, Russia launched at least 38 cruise missiles, six ballistic missiles, and 407 drones overnight in what is considered one of the largest coordinated assaults in recent months. The strikes follow Ukraine’s audacious drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, which targeted airfields and damaged 41 military aircraft, including strategic nuclear-capable bombers. The Ukrainian operation, dubbed “Spider’s Web” by the SBU security agency, marked a significant escalation in Ukraine’s offensive capabilities.
In a phone call on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia would retaliate against Ukraine’s recent attacks. Trump’s recounting of the conversation showed no indication he urged Putin to de-escalate, a stance that has drawn criticism in Ukraine. Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko warned, “When Putin mentioned he is going to avenge or deliver a new strike against Ukraine, we know what it means. It’s about civilians.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed it intercepted and destroyed 174 Ukrainian drones and three Neptune-MD guided missiles over the Black Sea during the same period. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched a drone attack on an industrial site in Engels, Russia, about 460 kilometers from the border, causing fires and smoke visible in footage.
The scale and intensity of the Russian strikes underscore Moscow’s strategy to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses with mass drone and missile barrages. Ukraine relies heavily on U.S. technology to defend against these nightly attacks, though recent Pentagon decisions to divert anti-drone systems to U.S. forces in the Middle East have raised concerns about the sustainability of Ukraine’s defenses.
This attack marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, which has seen repeated missile and drone strikes on civilian infrastructure across Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The situation remains fluid, with further updates expected as rescue operations continue and damage assessments are completed.
