Kyiv Rocked by Overnight Russian Barrage
Multiple districts hit as U.S. aid wavers amid stalled peace talks.
A barrage of Russian strikes pummeled Kyiv overnight, hitting over a dozen locations including residential areas, according to a local official, in the wake of stalled ceasefire talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Kyiv Under Fire
According to Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, eight people sustained injuries during the hours-long assault. Multi-story buildings in two districts suffered damage.
Early Friday morning, Ukraine’s Air Force reported multiple missiles aimed at Kyiv, with warnings of an incoming ballistic missile. Loud explosions soon followed.
According to CNN journalists on the ground, heavy smoke filled the air in parts of the city center as drones buzzed overhead.
Escalating Attacks
Russia has intensified its air attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, launching near-nightly barrages. Ukraine’s foreign minister reported that in June alone, Russia launched over 330 missiles, nearly 80 of them ballistic, along with 5,000 combat drones, and 5,000 gliding bombs.
Trump-Putin Call Yields No Breakthrough
Donald Trump expressed frustration following a nearly hour-long phone call with Vladimir Putin on Thursday, regarding stalled ceasefire negotiations.
During their call, the two leaders discussed several issues, including Iran and the war in Ukraine, Trump said, adding “I’m not happy about that.”
Asked about progress on a deal with Ukraine, Trump stated firmly: “No. I didn’t make any progress with him today at all.”
Shift in U.S. Policy
These strikes occurred as the Trump administration pauses some weapons shipments to Ukraine, including air defense missiles, pending a review of military spending and American support to foreign countries.
According to a recent report, U.S. commitment to Ukraine has decreased by 45% since January (Council on Foreign Relations).
Trump said the decision to pause shipments was made to protect U.S. stockpiles.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the U.S. has been the largest single donor of military aid to Ukraine, providing air defense systems, drones, rocket launchers, radars, tanks, and anti-armor weapons.
However, since Trump’s return to power, the balance of aid has shifted, raising concerns about the future of U.S. support for Kyiv.
According to Russian state media TASS, citing a Kremlin aide, Trump and Putin did not discuss the pause in shipments during their call. Trump did raise the issue of ending the war “as early as possible,” but Putin responded that Russia would not “back down” from its war goals.
