Russia–Ukraine Clash Intensifies Amid Largest Drone and Missile Barrages

Kyiv — The Russia–Ukraine conflict has surged to a new height as both sides unleash unprecedented drone and missile assaults, marking the fiercest escalation since the war began in February 2022.

According to Ukrainian authorities, Russian forces on July 4 launched their largest-ever aerial attack with around 539 drones and 11 cruise and ballistic missiles targeting Kyiv and several surrounding regions. Air defenses successfully intercepted approximately 478 of the drones, though at least 23 civilians were injured and critical infrastructure—rail links, residential buildings, and utilities—suffered substantial damage apnews.com+2jamaicaobserver.com+2theguardian.com+2nypost.com+2time.com+2aljazeera.com+2.

In response, Ukrainian forces retaliated with drone strikes against deep Russian targets. Defense officials reported a successful strike on Russia’s Borisoglebsk airbase in Voronezh, destroying aircraft and a weapons depot. Simultaneously, Ukraine resumed drone strikes on civilian airports in Russia, resulting in temporary closures at Sheremetyevo (Moscow) and Pulkovo (St. Petersburg), highlighting Kyiv’s new asymmetric approach apnews.com+1nypost.com+1.

Ukraine has also accelerated its drone program. Inside deals signed with European nations and U.S. defense contractors aim to scale drone production to the hundreds of thousands this year, with co-production planned in Denmark apnews.com.

Russia, meanwhile, continues to pour troops and firepower into northeastern Ukraine. More than 67,000 troops have been deployed to Sumy and Kharkiv, launching intensive ground raids. In Sumy Oblast alone, some 125 km² of territory has been seized, including the village of Kostiantynivka in early June, leading to civilian casualties and power outages en.wikipedia.org.

Russian air defenses claim to have intercepted 120 Ukrainian drones overnight in border areas like Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, and Oryol. Civil aviation disruptions followed but were later resolved reuters.com.

High-level diplomacy has also played out behind the scenes. U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly discussed bolstering Ukrainian air defenses during recent phone calls. Simultaneously, Trump urged Russia to “play fair” while Putin emphasized that military objectives would continue until Ukraine surrenders its NATO ambitions theguardian.com+1nypost.com+1.

The U.S. however recently paused some military aid, including Patriot missile systems and ammunition, as part of a Pentagon review, stirring concern that this may embolden Russia’s slow, creeping advances apnews.com+5understandingwar.org+5washingtonpost.com+5.

As the conflict intensifies with both air and ground offensives, analysts warn that without significant Western reinforcement and diplomacy, the war risks spiraling further, with catastrophic consequences for civilian populations and regional stability.