Russia launched one of its most devastating attacks on Ukraine in recent months, firing more than 440 drones and 32 missiles across the country, a Ukrainian official said on Tuesday, June 17.
At least 15 people were killed, including a U.S. citizen, and dozens injured, with Kyiv suffering some of the worst destruction since the war began.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that dozens of civilian sites were targeted in the early morning assault, including homes, schools, and key infrastructure. In Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district, a ballistic missile destroyed an entire section of a nine-storey apartment building.
“This is pure terrorism,” Zelenskiy said. “The whole world — the United States and Europe — must finally respond as a civilized society would respond to terrorists. Putin continues this war simply because he believes he can.”
Emergency crews worked tirelessly through the rubble, using hoses to extinguish fires and cranes to rescue trapped residents from damaged buildings. In one harrowing scene, an elderly woman was lowered on a stretcher from a shattered window, as shocked onlookers watched in silence.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s horrific,” said Viktoriia Vovchenko, 57, a resident of the area. “They were pulling out people, cut up, injured… elderly people, children. I don’t know how much more of this we can take.”
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that 14 people were killed in Kyiv and one in Odesa, with nearly 100 injured across Kyiv, Odesa, and Chernihiv. Among the deceased was a 62-year-old American citizen, who died from shrapnel wounds, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
In response, Ukraine has launched drone strikes into Russian territory, though none have resulted in comparable civilian casualties. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed it intercepted 147 Ukrainian drones overnight, including some near Moscow.
Now in its fourth year, the full-scale invasion has escalated, with recent peace talks in Istanbul failing to produce a resolution. Meanwhile, Russian forces have intensified their offensive in eastern Ukraine and opened a new front in the northeastern Sumy region.
Calls for a ceasefire by U.S. President Donald Trump have so far been ignored. Trump, who left the G7 summit in Canada a day early amid rising Middle East tensions, has notably shifted U.S. foreign policy by reducing strong backing for Kyiv.
His administration has resisted European efforts to impose harsher sanctions on Moscow, and he has even proposed re-admitting Russia into the G7—despite its 2014 expulsion following the annexation of Crimea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who attended the summit, aimed to secure more military aid and stricter sanctions on Russia. He also hoped for a direct meeting with Trump to discuss arms agreements, but the meeting did not occur due to Trump’s early departure.
This latest escalation highlights the continued breakdown of diplomatic efforts and the increasing civilian toll, as Russia presses on with its military campaign in the face of widespread international criticism.
