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Night drones hit Russia
Ukraine launched what multiple outlets described as one of its heaviest drone assaults, targeting 12 Russian regions, Russian-held Crimea, and the surrounding seas, with Russia’s Ministry of Defense saying it was a major nighttime attack.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones, and NPR reported that the previous biggest Ukrainian attack over the past year involved 556 drones on May 17.
The Associated Press reported that Ukraine’s air force said defenses stopped 174 of 189 Russian drones overnight, while four out of seven Iskander-M ballistic missiles breached air defenses and hit various places.
Hours after the drone campaign, Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X that he had ordered a "40-day influence operation" aimed at compelling Russia to end the war, according to NPR.
NPR also reported that Ukraine’s Security Service said it used drones to strike Russian navy ships and air defense radars in Kerch, including the Volga and the Vyatka and the cargo-passenger ferry Petropavlovsk.
Officials trade claims
In the immediate aftermath, CBS News reported that residents saw interceptions above Kyiv that sent debris falling to the ground, while Russia’s Defense Ministry said 660 drones were intercepted.
NPR said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that 47 Ukrainian drones were downed as they flew toward the Russian capital, and it added that he did not report any casualties or damage.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy framed the broader effort in a Friday post on X, writing, "We continue bringing Ukrainians home from Russian captivity. Today, 160 servicemembers were released from captivity."
The same Reuters account cited by Fox News said officials reported that 160 individuals from each side were going home on Friday as part of a prisoner swap.
NPR reported that Ukraine’s defense ministry published data Friday showing that Kyiv had destroyed 1,447 Russian air defense systems since President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
What comes next
Beyond the drone assault, CBS News reported that Ukraine’s national Security Service said Ukrainian drones struck two military vessels and several air defense systems in the Kerch region of Crimea, and it said Russian and Ukrainian channels on Telegram reported a strike on the Azot chemical plant in Russia’s Tula region.
“Gdańsk, Poland — Ukraine has launched one of its heaviest drone assaults on Russia since began, targeting 12 regions in the neighboring nation as well as its own Crimean Peninsula, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014”
NPR said the major attack came hours after Zelenskyy ordered a "40-day influence operation" and described it as an escalation of attacks aimed at compelling Russia to end the war after U.S. peace efforts yielded no breakthrough.
NPR also reported that Russian attacks killed 3 civilians and wounded 29, with regional head Oleh Syniehubov saying Russian forces struck the city of Kharkiv and 16 other settlements across the region.
In parallel, NPR said Ukraine’s defenses overnight stopped 174 of 189 Russian drones, while four of seven Iskander-M ballistic missiles fired got through air defenses and struck various locations.
Looking ahead, CBS News reported that Zelenskyy said Ukraine planned to intensify its strikes with the "40-day influence operation," while it also noted that a NATO summit next month could be a key moment for beefing up Ukraine’s military.
