Russia's large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities leave trail of destruction

Published connected 07/06/2025 - 1:49 GMT+2•Updated 10:37

A barrage of Russian strikes connected Ukraine early Friday near a way of demolition visible crossed respective cities successful nan country, wherever immoderate buildings and properties were destroyed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday's strikes killed astatine slightest 4 group and injured dozens. The attacks targeted nan capital, Kyiv, nan Ternopil region successful nan northwest of nan country, and nan metropolis of Lutsk.

One personification was killed successful Lutsk, and respective were injured pursuing a Russian rocket and drone onslaught connected nan northwestern metropolis successful nan Volyn region.

According to nan Ukrainian authorities, 15 onslaught drones and six cruise missiles were directed astatine nan metropolis successful nan early hours of Friday, triggering explosions and structural collapses successful respective neighbourhoods.

Some residents reported 3 powerful blasts, apt owed to nonstop hits aliases nan activity of aerial defence systems.

"It started astir 4:30 a.m. I saw pinch my ain eyes really things were flying location and exploding. I was opinionated correct here, and nan blast activity pushed america into nan hallway. Most group ran to nan shelter." Yevheniia Kamienieva, a resident of Lutsk, said.

"According to eyewitnesses who were outside, since unluckily we don't person functional shelters here, it was a rocket strike," Alisa Yerofieieva, caput of nan condominium relation successful nan city, said.

Rescuers successful nan metropolis said astatine slightest 16 group sustained various injuries from nan attacks, which sparked galore fires.

Ukraine's State Emergency Service (SES) reported that nan latest Russian strikes had targeted regions crossed Ukraine, including Kyiv, wherever 3 of those killed were rescuers.

With nan explosions lasting for respective hours overnight, galore group successful nan Ukrainian superior took shelter successful metro stations. The SES said respective administrative buildings, business facilities, and vehicles were besides damaged.

Strikes were besides reported successful nan metropolis of Sloviansk, according to Donetsk region police. The constabulary said Russian drones deed Sloviansk, damaging buildings, complete a twelve vehicles and a work station. Fortunately, nary casualties were reported, nan constabulary said.

The strikes, according to Russia's defense ministry, were successful retaliation for "terrorist acts by nan Kyiv regime." Russia claimed it targeted only subject installations, thing Kyiv disputes pinch grounds of mounting civilian casualties connected Ukraine's side.

Moscow's attacks came conscionable days aft US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had said "he will person to respond" pursuing Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web, which targeted Russian warplanes astatine subject airbases past weekend.

The covert cognition was described arsenic 1 for nan “history books” by Ukraine’s president, who blamed Russia's refusal of a projected ceasefire successful May for nan latest escalation successful nan three-and-a-half-year-old war.