Russia launched its most extensive aerial assault on Ukraine overnight Friday, just hours after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without diplomatic progress.
According to Ukrainian officials, the overnight barrage involved 539 drones and 11 missiles, with air raid sirens sounding across the country as Ukrainian defence forces scrambled to intercept the incoming threats. Kyiv residents took shelter in metro stations as drones buzzed overhead and explosions echoed throughout the capital.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, calling it further proof that Moscow remains committed to pursuing its war aims regardless of global appeals for peace.
“Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “Without truly large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behaviour.” He urged the United States and its allies to intensify diplomatic and economic pressure on the Kremlin.
Ukrainian officials said 23 people were injured in the strike, which the Ukrainian Air Force described as the largest single assault since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The massive aerial strike followed a fruitless conversation between Trump and Putin, with both sides sticking to entrenched positions. While the Kremlin reaffirmed its commitment to achieving its military objectives in Ukraine, President Trump acknowledged that the call yielded “no progress.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described the attack as a direct signal of Moscow’s defiance. “Putin clearly shows his complete disregard for the United States and everyone who has called for an end to the war,” he said.
The escalation comes amid growing anxiety in Kyiv over the future of U.S. military support. Washington announced a reduction in certain arms deliveries earlier this week, prompting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to call on the EU to “step up” its commitment to Ukraine’s defence.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has intensified its retaliatory drone strikes inside Russian territory. A Ukrainian drone reportedly crashed into an apartment block in Russia, killing a woman, according to local officials.
Trump to Sign Sweeping Tax and Spending Bill in July 4 Ceremony Featuring Bombers, Fireworks
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to sign his landmark “One Big Beautiful Bill” on Friday during an elaborate Independence Day celebration at the White House, capping a hard-fought legislative victory that solidifies his second-term agenda.
The signing ceremony, scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (2000 GMT), will feature a military flypast, including B-2 stealth bombers—the same type of aircraft used in a June 22 strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities—as well as fireworks and appearances by military personnel involved in the mission.
“We have the hottest country anywhere in the world today,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Iowa on Thursday. “This is a golden age. The age of America is upon us.”
Despite criticism from within his own Republican Party, the president pushed lawmakers to pass the bill in time for the July 4 holiday—and succeeded with just one day to spare. The House narrowly approved the package in a 218-214 vote, following an overnight lobbying effort by House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The sweeping legislation includes massive military spending increases, $4.5 trillion in tax extensions from Trump’s first term, and funds a national migrant deportation program. It also features the largest reductions to Medicaid since the program’s inception, with estimates suggesting up to 17 million Americans could lose coverage and dozens of rural hospitals may face closure.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the July 4 signing ceremony, stating that “the president always hoped” to sign the bill on Independence Day.
The bill’s passage is the latest in a string of political wins for Trump, who recently secured a favorable Supreme Court ruling limiting the authority of federal judges and celebrated a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran following U.S. airstrikes.
However, critics warn the bill will drastically inflate the national debt while slashing health and welfare programs. Tech billionaire and former Trump ally Elon Musk publicly opposed the measure, warning of long-term consequences.
Democrats are already mobilizing to leverage opposition to the bill ahead of the 2026 midterms, highlighting concerns that the legislation shifts wealth from low-income Americans to the richest elites.
