IRIA News

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Russia launched a massive aerial assault across multiple Ukrainian regions on June 6, 2024, just days after Ukrainian drones struck deep into Russian territory, reportedly destroying key warplanes at several airbases.

The attack, which Ukrainian officials have described as one of the most intense of the conflict, killed at least six people and injured more than 80 others, with strikes hitting Kyiv, Chernihiv, Lutsk, Ternopil, and other cities.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that it had “launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range air, sea and ground-based weapons, as well as attack drones” in retaliation for what it called “terrorist acts by the Kyiv regime.”

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “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.” He also noted that Russia had launched over 400 drones and 38 cruise missiles during the assault. The victims included three emergency responders in Kyiv, two civilians in Chernihiv, and another in Lutsk.

In his nightly address, Zelenskyy declared, “Now is exactly the moment when America, Europe, and everyone around the world can stop this war together by pressuring Russia. If someone is not applying pressure and is giving the war more time to take lives – that is complicity and accountability.”

Aerial assault across the country

Air raid sirens blared through the early hours of June 6 in Kyiv, where explosions and machine gun fire echoed as Ukrainian air defense systems engaged waves of incoming drones and missiles.

Air defense systems were activated across several Ukrainian cities, and in Kyiv, a residential building was hit, sparking fires. The city’s metro system was temporarily disrupted after tracks were damaged by shelling, and tens of thousands of civilians rushed to the bomb shelters.

Ternopil’s military chief, Vyacheslav Negoda, described the bombardment as the “most massive air attack on our region to date,” which left five people injured and caused extensive damage to homes and schools.

In Chernihiv, emergency services recovered two bodies from the rubble of a damaged industrial complex. In Lutsk, a man was found dead in a ruined apartment block, and rescue workers continued searching for his missing wife. Thirty people were reported injured in the city, and several government and educational buildings were hit.

The strikes also caused serious damage to infrastructure in Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, and Lviv. In Poltava, three were injured, and fires broke out in administrative buildings and warehouses. In Khmelnytskyi, residential homes and vehicles were damaged. In the western region of Lviv, three Russian missiles were shot down overnight, said regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi.

Toxic air warnings were issued in Ternopil following a major fire at an industrial facility, and residents were asked to remain indoors.

Russian justification and escalation

Russia claims that the strikes targeted military and related infrastructure in response to Ukrainian drone attacks that damaged strategic bomber aircraft at four Russian airbases last Sunday. Ukraine’s SBU security service said it had used 117 drones in Operation Spider’s Web, hitting “34% of [Russia’s] strategic cruise missile carriers.”

The Russian Defense Ministry also stated that it intercepted Neptune anti-ship missiles over the Black Sea and downed 174 Ukrainian drones across Russian territory and occupied Crimea.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov labeled the war as “existential” for Russia, calling it “an issue of our national interests, an issue of our security.” Moscow blamed Ukraine for three deadly bomb attacks on Russian railway lines in the Bryansk and Kursk regions last weekend, which reportedly killed seven and injured more than 100, though Kyiv has not officially commented on those incidents.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, posting on X, condemned Russia’s actions, saying it had “responded to its destroyed aircraft by attacking civilians in Ukraine. Multi-story buildings were hit. Energy infrastructure damaged.”

Ukraine’s human rights chief Dmytro Lubinets added, “Russia is acting like a terrorist, systematically targeting civilian infrastructure. The world must respond clearly and take concrete steps, including condemning the aggressor’s actions.”

Despite Russia’s repeated claims that it does not target civilians, the assault has caused widespread destruction to residential and civilian infrastructure, deepening the humanitarian toll of the war.

The Trump factor

The bombardment came shortly after a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, in which Putin reportedly warned of impending retaliation for Ukraine’s drone strikes. Speaking to reporters Friday night, Trump said, “The Ukrainians had given Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night.”

Trump’s comment drew criticism from some quarters in Ukraine, where officials interpreted his stance as tacit approval for Russia’s escalation. His earlier remark that it might be “better to let Ukraine and Russia fight for a while” rather than press for immediate peace added to concerns about weakening Western resolve.

I received a report from our team on their visit and meetings in the United States. Defense support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, diplomatic prospects, as well as the defense of freedom and countering Russian disinformation.

We gave our partners a detailed overview of… pic.twitter.com/8Y5ZMReBKz

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 6, 2025

Diplomatic stalemate

The attacks come just a week after the second round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended inconclusively in Istanbul. Ukraine’s delegation insisted on an unconditional ceasefire, while Russia proposed only a limited truce “in certain areas.”

With both sides ramping up military activity and diplomacy appearing to stall, the airstrikes mark another turning point in a war that has already killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

As the death toll rises and civilians across Ukraine reel from yet another wave of destruction, international pressure is mounting on world leaders to act. Still, meaningful progress toward peace remains elusive so far.