Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated. The article contains graphic footage.

Russia continued its attacks on western Ukrainian cities overnight on July 12, striking communities far from the front line with drone swarms and missile attacks for the third straight night.

Multiple explosions were heard in the western cities of Lviv and Chernivtsi between 3 a.m. – 4:45 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Public broadcaster Suspilne also reported explosion in the city of Lutsk around 3:30 a.m.

In Chernivtsi, a 26-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man were killed as a result of falling debris, Ruslan Zaparnyuk, head of the Chernivtsi Oblast Military Administration, reported. A total of 14 people were injured in the region, including four people who remain in serious condition.

Several residential buildings, shops, administrative buildings, and vehicles were damaged in Chernivtsi, Zaparnyuk added.

In Lviv, a fire broke out on the roof of a “non-residential” building in the Zaliznychnyi district of the city, Mayor Andrii Sadovy reported. Several residential and industrial buildings, vehicles, and a kindergarten were struck in the city.

Maksym Kozytsky, head of the Lviv Oblast Military Administration, said that six people were injured in the attack, including an 11-year-old boy. One person was hospitalized, and five others received medical treatment on site.

The aftermath of a Russian attack against Lviv, Ukraine, on July 12, 2025. (Mayor Andrii Sadovyi/Telegram) The aftermath of a Russian attack against Lviv, Ukraine, on July 12, 2025. (State Emergency Service) A civilian killed in a Russian attack against Chernivtsi, Ukraine, on July 12, 2025. (State Emergency Service) The aftermath of a Russian attack against Chernivtsi, Ukraine, on July 12, 2025. (State Emergency Service)

The Zaliznychnyi and Halytskyi districts were hit the hardest, with 46 houses, 20 cars, three buildings of the Lviv Polytechnic National University, courts, and 20 businesses damaged, Sadovyi said.

Fifteen apartments were rendered uninhabitable, and their 28 residents were offered temporary residence in hotels, according to the mayor.

In Lutsk, damage was caused to a home and vehicle amid the attack, the city’s Mayor Ihor Polishchuk reported. Nobody was injured in the strike.

Thirty-five drones and two missiles were recorded over the region.

It remains unclear whether Russia targeted or hit any military or other strategic targets in the attack, as Ukrainian authorities largely do not disclose such information for security reasons. This makes the full extent of casualties and damage impossible to verify.

Local officials also reported drones approaching Lviv, Ternopil, and Volyn oblasts in the early morning hours of July 12, with Ukraine’s Air Force warning of dozens of attack drones heading towards areas along the country’s western border.

Later in the evening, Ukraine’s Air Force also warned of dozens of ballistic missile attacks heading towards the western part of the country.

Russia launched 26 cruise missiles and 597 attack drones overnight, with the vast majority of drones and over 20 missiles shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

“The pace of Russia’s aerial strikes demands swift decisions – and it can be curbed through sanctions right now,” Zelensky said.

“More air defense systems are needed, along with investments in interceptor drones, which are already delivering good results.”

Poland’s Air Force said on X that the country scrambled fighter jets to protect Polish airspace amid the attack. Ukraine’s air raid alerts were lifted in all but the front-line regions around 5:30 a.m. local time.

As Russian air attacks have intensified in recent months, their tactics have visibly shifted, with a growing number of missile and drone attacks now targeting western regions once considered relatively safe.

A home in the western city of Lutsk burns following a large-scale Russian attack on the region overnight on July 12, 2025. (Mayor Ihor Polishchuk/Telegram) Firefighters extinguish a blaze in Lutsk on July 12, 2025 in the aftermath of a Russian drone and missile attack on western Ukraine. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service/Telegram)

The renewed attack comes just days after Russia carried out its largest air assault yet on July 9, launching a record 741 drones, with the western city of Lutsk experiencing what local officials described as the heaviest bombardment to date.

Just a day later, on July 10, Russian drones struck Chernivtsi, located just north of Ukraine’s border with Romania. The wider overnight attack on the country killed at least two people and injured 28 in Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 10 that Russia intends to drastically escalate its drone attacks, potentially launching up to 1,000 drones per day.

Zelensky said in an evening address on July 11 that U.S. military aid shipments to Ukraine, including air defense weaponry, have been restored amid a previous pause in weapons deliveries. In recent days, U.S. President Donald Trump has railed against intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine, adding that the United States would provide Ukraine with additional shipments of weapons.

Russia launched a record number of drones at Ukraine in a mass overnight aerial attack, Ukraine’s Air Force reported the morning of June 1.

Russia attacked Ukraine during the night with 472 Shahed-type attack drones, breaking its previous record — set just last week on May 26 — by over 100 drones.

In addition to nearly 500 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Moscow also targeted Ukraine with three Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and four Kh-101, Iskander-K air and ground-based cruise missiles, the Air Force said.

Ukrainian air defense units shot down 210 drones, while another 172 were suppressed by electronic warfare, according to the Air Force. Russian drones were intercepted in 18 different locations across the country.

The record-shattering drone attack came on the eve of Ukraine’s “Operation Spider Web” — a major strike on Russia’s military airfields coordinated by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU). The operation hit 41 Russian bombers at four airfields, according to the SBU.

The attack, planned for over a year, involved smuggling first-person-view (FPV) drones deep into Russia. The operation caused approximately $7 billion in damages and disabled 34% of cruise missile carriers in key Russian air bases, the SBU reported.

Ukraine’s strike on Russia’s military aircraft follows some of Moscow’s heaviest aerial bombardments since the beginning of the full-scale war.

For three nights in a row from May 24-26, Russia barraged Ukraine with drones and missiles, launching a record 298 drones on May 25 only to break the record with 355 the following night.

The escalating attacks form the backdrop against which Ukrainian and Russian delegations prepare for their second round of direct peace talks, scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul. The Kremlin has claimed it will submit a memorandum outlining its ceasefire conditions during the meeting — though previous promises to present terms have been followed by weeks of delays.

The first round of talks, held May 16, failed to produce any significant breakthroughs towards a peace settlement.

Russia continues to reject calls for an unconditional ceasefire.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with the latest casualty figures confirmed by the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration.

Russia attacked the city of Kharkiv with KAB guided bombs the evening of June 7, killing a woman and a man and injuring at least 18 people. The total confirmed death toll stands at five as of June 11.

First responders on June 11 recovered the bodies of three women from the rubble of an enterprise hit during the June 7 attack on the city, according to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

The bombing follows a night of deadly Russian strikes against the city. Russia launched drones, missiles, and guided bombs at Kharkiv overnight on June 7, killing at least three people and injuring 19, including two children.

Rescuers were still searching for the bodies of six victims believed to be trapped under the rubble on the afternoon of June 7, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.

At around 5:30 p.m. local time, Mayor Ihor Terekhov warned that Kharkiv was again under attack from guided aerial bombs.

Russia launched four KAB bombs at central Kharkiv, targeting the city’s Shevchenkivskyi and Kyivskyi districts, Syniehubov reported after the attack. One of the bombs hit the Children’s Railway, a popular gathering place for families.

A 30-year-old woman was killed in the attack, Syniehubov said. Another 19 people were injured, with three in serious condition. Ten victims have been hospitalized.

Emergency medics treat a victim who was injured after a Russian bombing in Kharkiv on June 7, 2025. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service / Telegram)

The woman who as killed was an employee of Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia), according to Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, board chair of Ukrzaliznytsia. Four other railway employees were among the injured.

The Children’s Railway in Kharkiv was closed at the time of the attack, Pertsovskyi said. The opening had been canceled because of security risks.

“(T)he opening was canceled, so there were no students or visitors on site and they are safe! It’s scary to imagine what would have happened otherwise,” he wrote.

The attacks damaged two buildings and four cars at the Children’s Railway, two homes, and a farm building, according to Syniehubov. Emergency responders are still at work on the scene.

President Volodymyr Zelensky called the bombing a “brutal” attack and offered his condolences to the victims, noting that Russian strikes “have been hitting our city of Kharkiv all day long.”

Zelensky rejected the idea that Russia’s bombardments are a “response” to Operation Spiderweb, Ukraine’s daring mass drone strike that struck military aircraft at four Russian air bases on June 1. Russia’s only aim is destruction, the president said.

“In more than 11 years of Russia’s war against Ukraine, they have brought only one new thing to our land, and this is really the most widespread Russian product — ruins and death.”

The previous night, Russia struck civilian targets across Kharkiv, including an apartment building. The attack killed three and injured 19, including a 1-month-old baby. Extensive search-and-rescue operations were underway following the strike.

The attack on Kharkiv came the night after Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile attack across Ukraine on June 6. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the strike was a response to Operation Spiderweb — despite Russia’s history of mass aerial attacks on civilian targets throughout the full-scale war.

U.S. President Donald Trump echoed the narrative the day after the attack, saying the attack on military aircraft gave Russian President Vladimir Putin “a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them.”

Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine suffers frequent Russian assaults due to its vulnerable front-line position. The city of Kharkiv has regularly come under fire, with Russian drones and missiles targeting residential buildings in densely populated neighborhoods.

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Russia attacked homes and apartment buildings in Kharkiv with drones overnight on June 11, killing at least three people and injuring 64 others, including nine children, authorities reported.

The attack struck a five-story residential building in the city’s Slobidskyi district, leaving 15 apartments in flames, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Several homes in the Osnovyanskyi district were also hit.

The large-scale attack also struck a trolleybus depot in the city, several vehicles, playgrounds, and local businesses, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Terekhov said that nine people have been hospitalized as a result of the attack, including a 2-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy. Nine children were injured in total, the Prosecutor General’s Office said.

Firefighters extinguish a blaze at a residential building in Kharkiv following a Russian drone strike on June 11, 2025. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service/Telegram) Emergency workers tend to residents following a Russian drone strike on a residential building in Kharkiv on June 11, 2025. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service/Telegram) The aftermath of a Russian drone attack on Kharkiv on June 11, 2025. (Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration/Telegram)

Earlier in the night, Terekhov warned residents that a “massive enemy drone attack” was targeting Kharkiv. He later reported that Russia carried out 17 drone strikes in the city.

“Every new day now brings new vile Russian attacks, and almost every strike is telling,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

“And we must not be afraid or postpone new decisions that could make things more difficult for Russia… And this depends primarily on the United States and other world leaders.”

Russia has pounded the city of Kharkiv with relentless aerial attacks in recent days.

A series of attacks with drones, missiles, and KAB guided bombs on June 7 left four dead and around 40 injured, as Russia struck civilian targets in the city throughout the night and again in the afternoon.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the “brutal strike” and urged the U.S. to allow Ukraine to purchase urgently needed air defense systems.

Already a frequent target of Russian strikes due to its proximity to the front lines, Kharkiv has also come under fire during Moscow’s recent record-breaking attacks against cities across Ukraine.

Zelensky said on June 10 that Russia has been steadily increasing the number of weapons it launches at Ukraine in its mass overnight assaults.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated to reflect reported casualties.

Russia launched a mass missile and drone attack against Ukraine overnight on June 6, targeting the capital, major cities, and the country’s far-western regions.

A total of 80 people were injured and seven people killed, including first responders, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“A cynical Russian strike on ordinary cities. More than 400 drones, more than 40 missiles. … We need to put pressure on Russia to (accept a ceasefire) and to stop the strikes,” he said.

The attack comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to retaliate against Ukraine for its drone strike against Russian air bases in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Air raid alerts were activated in all Ukrainian regions, following Russia’s latest mass attack. Ukraine’s Air Force warned during the night that multiple Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers had taken flight and likely already launched cruise missiles.

Explosions were reported in Kyiv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Lviv, Lutsk, and other cities as drones and missiles targeted all regions of the country.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 452 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, along with 45 missiles of various types.

Air defenses intercepted 199 drones, while another 169 dropped off radars — likely used as decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian systems. Ukrainian forces also intercepted 36 missiles, including the Iskander-M ballistic missile.

“Russia doesn’t change its stripes — another massive strike on cities and ordinary life. They targeted almost all of Ukraine — Volyn, Lviv, Ternopil, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions,” Zelensky said the morning after the attacks.

“Russia must be held accountable for this. Since the first minute of this war, they have been striking cities and villages to destroy life.”

Kyiv and Central Ukraine

An apartment in flames after a Russian attack on June 6, 2025, in Kyiv. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service)

Multiple fires broke out across Kyiv as drones struck residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure. Explosions and falling debris were reported in several districts, including Solomianskyi, Holosiivskyi, Darnytskyi, Dniprovskyi, and Shevchenkivskyi.

Three people were killed overnight, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service later confirmed that the victims were rescue workers responding to the attack.

Another 23 people in Kyiv were injured, including 14 emergency responders. A child was among the injured.

According to Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, 2,167 families on the left bank of Kyiv were left without electricity due to Russian attacks.

A Russian drone struck the 11th floor of a 16-story apartment block in the Solomianskyi district, igniting a fire, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported. Three people were rescued, and the fire has since been extinguished. A fire also broke out at an industrial site in the area.

In the Holosiivskyi district, debris hit a residential building, sparking a blaze and causing yet-to-be-assessed damage. An educational institution was damaged in the attack and falling drone wreckage landed near a gas station, damaging a car.

Another erupted on the 17th floor of a residential high-rise in the Darnytskyi district. Medics were called to the site of the attack.

The administration also reported “significant damage” to a gas station in the city’s Dniprovskyi district.

The attack damaged tracks and cables on the metro line between the Darnytsia and Livoberezhna stations, causing closures and route disruptions. Repair work is expected to be completed in 24 hours, the administration said.

In Chernihiv, the bodies of two people were recovered in the rubble of an industrial facility, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported.

Western Ukraine

In the western city of Ternopil, Russia struck infrastructure and industrial facilities with Shahed drones and Kalibr cruise missiles, according to Mayor Serhii Nadal. Part of the city lost electricity.

Eleven people were injured, including five emergency workers.

Ternopil lies hundreds of kilometers from the front line and is not a frequent target of Russian attacks.

Casualties were also reported in Lutsk in northwestern Ukraine amid the mass strike. At least two people were killed and 27 more injured, according to the State Emergency Service.

Ihor Polishchuk, the city’s mayor, said that the roof of an apartment building was damaged, as were vehicles, commercial properties, and a government institution. According to the mayor, Russia attacked Lutsk with 15 drones and six missiles.

Lutsk is located in Ukraine’s Volyn Oblast, which borders Poland. Russia’s overnight attack represents the largest strike against the city since the start of the full-scale war.

Emergency responders assist a civilian following a deadly Russian strike in the city of Lutsk in Ukraine’s northwestern Volyn Oblast on June 6, 2025. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service)

Russia’s retaliation

Russia’s mass attack injured dozens of people and caused destruction across the country.

Ukraine had been bracing for a large-scale assault after the Kremlin threatened revenge for Operation Spiderweb — Ukraine’s audacious drone strike that damaged 41 Russian bombers on June 1.

After speaking with Putin over the phone on June 4, Trump warned that the Kremlin was planning a response to Ukraine’s strike. While Putin has stayed publicly silent on Ukraine’s attack, Trump said Russia’s retaliation was “not going to be pretty.”

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on the morning of June 6 that the overnight attack was a “response” to Operation Spiderweb and alleged that the “goal of the strike was achieved” and the “designated objects were hit.”

But Moscow needs no excuse to bombard Ukraine with drones and missiles, as the mass strikes Russia launched against Ukrainian cities in the days before Spiderweb prove. For three consecutive nights in the last week of May, Russia targeted Ukraine with some of the heaviest aerial attacks since the start of the full-scale war.

Aerial strikes against civilian targets have been a regular feature of Russia’s all-out war since February 2022.

Russia continues to reject calls for a ceasefire and Putin has said he is no longer interested in negotiating with Ukraine.