On Monday, July 21, 2025, Russia launched a barrage of 450 drones and missiles targeting Ukraine, striking apartment blocks, a nursery, and the Lukyanivka metro station in Kyiv, as well as regions like Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, and Sumy, killing at least two people and injuring 15, including a 12-year-old boy, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The attack, which caused fires in six Kyiv districts and damaged civilian infrastructure, was condemned by Zelensky as an “assault on humanity.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, visiting Kyiv during rescue operations, criticized the strikes, noting the targeting of a metro station used as a civilian shelter, especially poignant given Zelensky’s Saturday proposal for fresh peace talks. The European Union’s 18th sanctions package, adopted on Friday, targets Russian banks and lowers the oil export price cap to pressure Moscow, but Russia has not responded to Zelensky’s call or U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50-day ultimatum for a peace deal or face severe sanctions.
The assault follows Ukraine’s drone attacks on Moscow, which disrupted Vnukovo airport operations, a key hub for Russian government travel. Despite direct talks in Istanbul last month, where both sides agreed to prisoner exchanges but failed to advance ceasefire efforts, diplomacy remains stalled. Russia’s demands for Ukraine to cede territory and reject Western military aid were dismissed by Kyiv as unacceptable. Zelensky urged allies to expedite sanctions and air defense support, highlighting Ukraine’s strained defenses, which neutralized 711 drones and seven missiles in a recent attack. Barrot emphasized that the sanctions aim to raise the cost of war for Russia, while Ukraine pushes for more Patriot air defense systems to counter Russia’s escalating aerial campaign, which included 27,700 bombs, 11,200 Shahed drones, and 700 missiles this year.
Leave a Reply