Russia hits Ukraine with the biggest air assault of the battle to this point : NPR

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AP/Ukrainian Emergency Service KYIV, Ukraine — A large Russian drone-and-missile assault focused the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and different areas within the nation for a second consecutive night time, killing a minimum of 12 folks and injuring dozens, officers mentioned early Sunday.

The size of the onslaught was gorgeous — Russia hit Ukraine with 367 drones and missiles, making this the biggest single assault of the greater than three-years-long battle, in response to Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Drive.

In all, Russia used 69 missiles of assorted varieties and 298 drones, together with Iranian-designed Shahed drones, he informed The Related Press.

It was "essentially the most huge strike by way of the variety of air assault weapons on the territory of Ukraine because the starting of the full-scale invasion in 2022," Ihnat mentioned.

There was no quick remark from Moscow.

For Kyiv, the day was significantly somber as the town observes Kyiv Day, a nationwide vacation that falls on the final Sunday of Might commemorating its founding within the fifth century,

'Deliberate strikes on abnormal cities' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that Russian missiles and drones hit greater than 30 cities and villages throughout Ukraine and urged Western companions to ramp up sanctions on Russia.

That has been a long-standing demand of the Ukrainian chief however one which — regardless of warnings to Moscow by america and Europe — haven't materialized in methods to discourage Russia.

Zelenskyy wrote on X that Sunday's targets included Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Sumy, Odesa, Poltava, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Cherkasy areas.

"These had been deliberate strikes on abnormal cities. Atypical residential buildings had been destroyed and broken," he mentioned.

"With out actually robust stress on the Russian management, this brutality can't be stopped. Sanctions will definitely assist," Zelenskyy mentioned. "Dedication issues now — the willpower of america, of European international locations, and of all these around the globe who search peace."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2000x1336+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F34%2F7e%2Febb8b4714ef885cb980f8dff74c1%2Fap25145211989666.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2000x1336+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F34%2F7e%2Febb8b4714ef885cb980f8dff74c1%2Fap25145211989666.jpg" class="img" alt="In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a local resident cries standing amid the rubble of her house ruined after Russia's air attack in Khmelnytskyi region, Ukraine, Sunday, May 25, 2025." loading="lazy"/> On this photograph offered by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, an area resident cries standing amid the rubble of her home ruined after Russia's air assault in Khmelnytskyi area, Ukraine, Sunday, Might 25, 2025. AP/Ukrainian Emergency Service disguise caption

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AP/Ukrainian Emergency Service The assault got here on the third day of a deliberate prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, the one tangible end result from peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month which have to this point failed to provide a ceasefire. The change amounted to a uncommon second of cooperation between the warring sides.

In the meantime, Russia's Protection Ministry mentioned its air defenses shot down 110 Ukrainian drones in a single day.

The 'most huge Russian air assault' Sounds of explosions boomed all through the night time in Kyiv and the encircling space as Ukrainian air protection forces continued for hours in efforts to shoot down enemy drones and missiles. At the least 4 folks had been killed and 16 had been injured within the capital itself, in response to Ukraine's safety service.

"A troublesome Sunday morning in Ukraine after a sleepless night time. Essentially the most huge Russian air assault in lots of weeks lasted all night time," Ukrainian International Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned on X.

Fires broke out in properties and companies, set off by falling drone particles.

Within the area of Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv, three youngsters had been killed, aged 8, 12 and 17, in response to the emergency service. Twelve had been injured within the assaults, the service mentioned. At the least 4 folks had been killed within the Khmelnytskyi area, in western Ukraine. One man was killed in Mykolaiv area, in southern Ukraine.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko mentioned a scholar dormitory in Holosiivskyi district was hit by a drone and one of many constructing's partitions was on fireplace. In Dniprovskyi district, a personal home was destroyed and in Shevchenkivskyi district, home windows in a residential constructing had been smashed.

The size of Russia's use of aerial weapons, the assaults over the previous 48 hours have been among the many most intense strikes on Ukraine because the February 2022 full-scale battle. The final in a three-day prisoner swap was anticipated to happen in a while Sunday.

A village engulfed in smoke and rubble Within the village of Markhalivka, simply exterior Kyiv, the place a number of properties had been burned down within the in a single day strikes, the Fedorenkos watched their ruined house in tears.

"The road seems to be like Bakhmut, like Mariupol, it is simply horrible," says 76-year-old Liubov Fedorenko, evaluating their village to a few of Ukraine's most devastated cities within the battle. She informed the AP how grateful she was her daughter had not joined them for the weekend along with her household.

"I used to be making an attempt to influence my daughter to return to us," Fedorenko mentioned, including she informed her daughter, "In spite of everything, you reside on the eighth flooring in Kyiv, and right here it is the bottom flooring.'"

"She mentioned, 'No, mum, I am not coming.' And thank God she did not come, as a result of the rocket hit (the home) on the aspect the place the kids's rooms had been," Fedorenko mentioned.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2000x1500+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F98%2Fb1%2Ffa6f13d9455bb66697bc5f0e6958%2Fap25145202643217.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2000x1500+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F98%2Fb1%2Ffa6f13d9455bb66697bc5f0e6958%2Fap25145202643217.jpg" class="img" alt="In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters try to put out a fire following a Russian attack in Kyiv region, Ukraine, Sunday, May 25, 2025." loading="lazy"/> On this photograph offered by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters attempt to put out a fireplace following a Russian assault in Kyiv area, Ukraine, Sunday, Might 25, 2025. AP/Ukrainian Emergency Service disguise caption

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AP/Ukrainian Emergency Service Ivan Fedorenko, 80, mentioned he regrets letting their two canines into the home after the air raid siren went off. "They burned to dying," he mentioned. "I wish to bury them, however I am not allowed but."

Regardless of POW swaps, no letup within the battle Zelenskyy and Russia's protection ministry mentioned all sides introduced house 307 extra troopers the day prior to this, on Saturday, a day after all sides launched a complete of 390 combatants and civilians. As soon as accomplished, the swap will quantity to the biggest change of prisoners in additional than three years of battle.

"We anticipate extra to return tomorrow," Zelenskyy mentioned on his official Telegram channel on Saturday. Russia's protection ministry additionally mentioned it anticipated the change to be continued, although it didn't give particulars.

The earlier night time, explosions and anti-aircraft fireplace had been heard all through Kyiv as many sought shelter in subway stations as Russian drones and missiles focused the Ukrainian capital.

The continuing POW change, the newest of dozens of swaps because the battle started and the most important involving Ukrainian civilians to this point didn't carry a halt within the combating.

Battles have continued alongside the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) entrance line, the place tens of 1000's of troopers have been killed, and neither nation has relented in its deep strikes.