Four killed, 80 wounded in intense Russian air attacks on Ukraine
Fire and smoke rise in the aftermath of a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
By Thomas Peter, Anna Voitenko and Anastasiia Malenko
Russia launched an intense missile and drone barrage at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the early hours of Friday, killing four people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as powerful explosions reverberated across the country.
The attacks followed a warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin, conveyed via U.S. President Donald Trump, that the Kremlin would hit back after Ukrainian drones destroyed several strategic bomber aircraft in attacks deep inside Russia.
Zelenskyy said three emergency responders were killed in the missile and drone salvo against the capital. Another person died in an attack on the northwestern city of Lutsk.
"Those killed in Kyiv were rescue workers who arrived at the scene of an initial strike and, unfortunately, were killed in a repeat Russian strike," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, writing on X, said Russia had "'responded' to its destroyed aircraft... by attacking civilians in Ukraine.... Multi-story buildings hit. Energy infrastructure damaged."
Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had carried out the strike on military and military-related targets in response to what it called Ukrainian "terrorist acts" against Russia.
Zelenskyy said 80 people nationwide had been injured in the attacks, which also struck several other towns and cities. He said residents could still be trapped under rubble.
In Lutsk, the national emergency service said 30 people were injured in addition to the one death. Prosecutors said the attack damaged private homes, educational institutions and a government building.
Russian forces also struck industrial facilities and infrastructure in the western city of Ternopil, leaving parts of it without power, Mayor Serhii Nadal said.
The regional administration said the attack had injured 10 people and asked residents to temporarily stay inside due to a high concentration of toxic substances in the air after a fire.
The air force said Russia had used 407 drones, one of the largest numbers recorded in a single attack. Forty-five cruise and ballistic missiles were also fired, it said.
ATTACKS HIT KYIV TRANSPORT SYSTEM
Kyiv's metro transport system was disrupted by a Russian strike that hit and damaged tracks between stations, the military administration said. The state rail company said it was also diverting some trains due to rail damage outside the city.
Reuters witnesses reported a series of booming explosions powerful enough to rattle windows far from the impact sites.
Some Kyiv residents sought shelter in metro stations, or in underground car parks.
In the capital's Solomianskyi district, a Russian drone slammed into the side of an apartment building, leaving a gaping hole and burn marks, a Reuters photographer at the scene said.
Falling concrete blocks from the building crushed cars parked below. Two police investigators were examining what appeared to be the drone's engine.
Earlier in the night, Reuters reporters heard the sound of Russian kamikaze drones buzzing in the sky, accompanied by the sounds of outgoing fire from Ukrainian anti-aircraft batteries.
Zelenskyy called for concerted pressure on Russia.
"If someone is not applying pressure and is giving the war more time to take lives – that is complicity and accountability. We must act decisively," he wrote on X.
The Ukrainian military said it had launched a pre-emptive strike overnight on the Engels and Dyagilevo airfields in the Russian regions of Saratov and Ryazan, in addition to striking at least three fuel reservoirs.
In one of the most audacious attacks of the three-year-old war between Ukraine and Russia, Ukrainian spies last weekend destroyed some of Russia's strategic bomber aircraft on the ground using quadrocopter drones hidden in wooden sheds.
After a phone conversation with Putin on Wednesday, Trump said the Kremlin was planning an unspecified response to the Ukrainian attack on the Russian air bases.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nikkei Asia
6 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the White House on June 20: A surprise announcement by Trump of a ceasefire ended a four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in May. © Reuters ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -- Pakistan said on Saturday it would recommend U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, an accolade that he has said he craves, for his work in helping to resolve the recent conflict between India and Pakistan. Some analysts in Pakistan said the move might persuade Trump to think again about potentially joining Israel in striking Iran's nuclear facilities. Pakistan has condemned Israel's action as a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability.
Nikkei Asia
7 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Japan nationals fret over UK push for English standards for visas
The U.K. is moving to tighten immigration restrictions, linking visas to English-language ability. © Reuters TOMOHIRO EBUCHI LONDON -- A recent proposal by the U.K. to require English proficiency for some visas has caused a stir among Japanese nationals, with particular concern about the impact on workers whose families may end up being affected. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government released a white paper in May on its plans for the immigration system. In addition to lengthening the qualifying period for permanent residency and shortening the time that international students can stay in the country after graduation, it calls for stricter English language standards for some visas.
Asahi Shimbun
9 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Modi coming in August to seal deal on bullet trains for India
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviews the honor guard at the Government House in Bangkok on April 3. (Reuters) Japanese and Indian officials are putting the final touches on a trip to Japan in late August by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that will see Tokyo reaping a windfall sale of the latest Shinkansen bullet train technology to New Delhi. East Japan Railway Co. is planning to start commercial operations of its new E10 series of bullet trains in fiscal 2030, which the government has already said it is willing to share with India, according to several diplomatic sources in the two nations. 'This would be the first case of the latest model being introduced simultaneously in Japan and another country,' said a government source in Tokyo. During Modi's visit in late 2015 when Shinzo Abe was prime minister, it was agreed that India's first high-speed railway network would use Japanese technology. Initially, the E5 series used on the Tohoku Shinkansen line was to be exported to India. But then JR East in March announced plans to begin development of the next-generation E10 series of bullet trains, so officials approached their Indian counterparts about using that technology instead, according to sources. Modi last visited Japan in May 2023 as one of the invited leaders to join the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima. One aim of the August trip is to set a pattern of reciprocal visits by the leaders of the two nations. India will host the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, known as the Quad meeting, that groups Australia, India, Japan and the United States this autumn. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to attend. Arrangements are now being worked out for Modi and Ishiba in August to visit the plant in Miyagi Prefecture where the E10 prototype is being developed. Modi will also get an update on a plan announced in 2022 by Ishiba's predecessor, Fumio Kishida, for Japan to invest 5 trillion yen ($34.2 billion) in India over a five-year period. The two leaders are also expected to discuss cooperation in constructing a supply chain for semiconductors and other vital products. Modi may visit China after his Japan trip to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, according to diplomatic sources. Russia is also a member of that organization. By visiting Japan prior to China, Modi will alleviate concerns in Tokyo that New Delhi, with its longstanding nonaligned diplomatic policy, is too dependent on Beijing, a government source said. (This article was written by Nen Satomi in Tokyo and Takashi Ishihara in New Delhi.)
