On July 9, 2025, Russia unleashed its largest-ever aerial assault on Ukraine, deploying 728 drones and 13 missiles, primarily targeting Lutsk near Poland’s border, amid stalled peace talks.
Russia launched an attack involving 728 Shahed drones, decoy drones, and 13 missiles. This included seven Kh-101/Iskander-K missiles and six Kinzhal missiles, targeting Lutsk and ten other regions. Ukraine’s air defences successfully intercepted 711 drones and seven missiles, with 415 drones being jammed, per the Ukrainian Air Force. The airfields in Lutsk, which are crucial for military logistics, were struck, igniting fires. While there were no reported casualties in Lutsk, one civilian was killed in Khmelnytskyi.
The attack followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to boost Ukraine’s arms supply, reversing prior cuts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s timing, urging stricter sanctions on its $500 billion energy sector, per The Guardian.
🔴 Russian forces have launched one of the most massive attacks on Ukraine to date tonight, with Lutsk and Zhytomyr being the primary targets.
Preliminarily, the assault involved:
– 540 to 620 Shahed drones or decoy drones
– 6 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles
– 4 Kh-101 missiles. pic.twitter.com/E7KKL8Ljdh
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) July 9, 2025Kyiv’s security services arrested two Chinese nationals for smuggling missile technology, alleging China’s involvement in Russia’s drone program, according to Reuters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Trump’s harsh rhetoric. Ukraine’s drone innovations are countering the assault, Zelenskyy stated.
Russia’s recent drone strike surpassed the previous record of 550 drones set earlier in July, aiming to overwhelm Ukraine’s defences. In response, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) targeted Russian air bases and managed to destroy 34% of Moscow’s bomber fleet. Meanwhile, Russian forces captured the village of Tolstoy in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian prosecutors reported that eight civilians were killed in drone attacks in Donetsk, including a one-year-old in Kherson. Peace talks in Istanbul have stalled, as Russia rejected an unconditional ceasefire.
