海角大神

Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight in the largest aerial assault since Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine began more than three years ago, officials said Friday, amid a renewed Russian push to capture more of its neighbor鈥檚 land.

Hours after the barrage that killed one person and wounded at least 26 others, including a child, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a 鈥渧ery important and productive鈥� phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The two leaders discussed how Ukrainian air defenses might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the U.S. and Ukraine, and broader U.S-led efforts to end the war with Russia, according to a statement by Mr. Zelenksyy.

The U.S. has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Ukraine鈥檚 main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Mr. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine鈥檚 domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the call.

The seven-hour bombardment of Kyiv caused severe damage across multiple districts of the capital in a seven-hour onslaught, authorities said. Blasts lit up the night sky and echoed across the city as air raid sirens wailed. The blue lights of emergency vehicles reflected off high-rise buildings, and debris blocked city streets.

鈥淚t was a harsh, sleepless night,鈥� Mr. Zelenskyy said.

Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Less than a week ago, Russia launched what was then the largest aerial assault of the war. That strategy has coincided with a concerted Russian effort to break through parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure.

Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine during the night, the country鈥檚 air force said. The majority were Shahed drones, but Russia also launched 11 missiles in the attack.

Alya Shahlai, a 23-year-old Kyiv wedding photographer, said that her home was destroyed in the attack.

鈥淲e were all in the [basement] shelter because it was so loud, staying home would have been suicidal,鈥� she told The Associated Press. 鈥淲e went down 10 minutes before and then there was a loud explosion and the lights went out in the shelter, people were panicking.鈥�

Five ambulances were damaged while responding to calls, officials said, and emergency services removed more than 300 tons of rubble.

Trump, Zelenskyy talks

In Friday鈥檚 call, Mr. Zelenskyy said he congratulated Mr. Trump and the American people on Independence Day and thanked the United States for its continued support.

They discussed a possible future meeting between their teams to explore ways of enhancing Ukraine鈥檚 protection against air attacks, Mr. Zelenskyy said.

He added that they talked in detail about defense industry capabilities and direct joint projects with the U.S., particularly in drone technology. They also exchanged views on mutual procurement, investment, and diplomatic cooperation with international partners, Mr. Zelenskyy said.

Peace efforts have been fruitless so far. have led only to sporadic exchanges of prisoners of war, wounded troops and the bodies of fallen soldiers. No date has been set for further negotiations.

Ukrainian officials and the Russian Defense Ministry said another prisoner swap took place Friday, though neither side said how many soldiers were involved. Mr. Zelenskyy said most of the Ukrainians had been in Russian captivity since 2022. The Ukrainian soldiers were classified as 鈥渨ounded and seriously ill.鈥�

鈥業鈥檓 very disappointed鈥�

The attack on Kyiv began the same day a phone call took place between Mr. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Asked if he made any progress during his call with Mr. Putin on a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine, Trump said: 鈥淣o, I didn鈥檛 make any progress with him today at all.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin because I don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 there. I don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 looking to stop [the fighting], and that鈥檚 too bad,鈥� Trump said.

According to Yuri Ushakov, Mr. Putin鈥檚 foreign affairs adviser, the Russian leader emphasized that Moscow will seek to achieve its goals in Ukraine and remove the 鈥渞oot causes鈥� of the conflict.

鈥淩ussia will not back down from these goals,鈥� Mr. Ushakov told reporters after the call.

Russia鈥檚 army crossed the border on Feb. 24, 2022, in an all-out invasion that Mr. Putin sought to justify by falsely saying it was needed to protect Russian-speaking civilians in eastern Ukraine and prevent the country from joining NATO.

Mr. Zelenskyy has repeatedly called out Russian disinformation efforts.

Constant buzzing of drones

The Ukrainian response needs to be speedy as Russia escalates its aerial attacks. Russia launched 5,438 drones at Ukraine in June, a new monthly record, according to official data collated by The Associated Press. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier this week that Russia also launched more than 330 missiles, including nearly 80 ballistic missiles, at Ukrainian towns and cities that month.

Throughout the night, AP journalists in Kyiv heard the constant buzzing of drones overhead and the sound of explosions and intense machine gun fire as Ukrainian forces tried to intercept the aerial assault.

鈥淎bsolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv,鈥� Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on social media platform X. 鈥淥ne of the worst so far.鈥�

Ukraine鈥檚 Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko described 鈥渇amilies running into metro stations, basements, underground parking garages, mass destruction in the heart of our capital.鈥�

鈥淲hat Kyiv endured last night, cannot be called anything but a deliberate act of terror,鈥� she wrote on X.

Kyiv was the primary target of the countrywide attack. At least 14 people were hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Mr. Zelenskyy called the Kyiv attack 鈥渃ynical.鈥� In Moscow, the Defense Ministry claimed its forces targeted factories producing drones and other military equipment in Kyiv.

Russia strikes 5 Ukrainian regions

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 270 targets, including two cruise missiles. Another 208 targets were lost from radar and presumed jammed.

Russia successfully hit eight locations with nine missiles and 63 drones. Debris from intercepted drones fell across at least 33 sites.

In addition to the capital, the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Kyiv regions also sustained damage, Mr. Zelenskyy said.

Emergency services reported damage in at least five of Kyiv鈥檚 10 districts.

This story was reported by the Associated Press. Vasilisa Stepanenko contributed to this report from Kyiv, Ukraine.