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The number of Russian drones and missiles in the barrage set a single-night record and underscored Ukraine’s need for weapons.
July 9, 2025, 8:28 a.m. ET
Russia launched a major volley of drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight on Wednesday, soon after President Trump had sharply criticized President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for taking only “meaningless” steps toward peace in settlement talks.
Explosions rattled cities and towns mostly in central and western Ukraine where the attack seemed to target airfields and military logistical sites. Booms and antiaircraft machine-gun fire was also heard in the capital, Kyiv.
The attack came the night after Mr. Trump had made his latest flip-flop on his approach to the war, saying on Monday that because Ukraine was “getting hit very hard” in Russian attacks, he would resume a delivery of weapons that his administration had paused only last week.
American officials had said they would pause the shipment to conduct a worldwide review of U.S. military readiness. As of Tuesday night, after Mr. Trump had changed his mind, that shipment, consisting of 30 Patriot missiles and other munitions, was in Poland, waiting to cross the border, officials said.
Wednesday’s attacks underscore Ukraine’s urgent need for weapons. As Russia has ramped up industrial capacity to mass-produce expendable, exploding drones, new nightly records come weekly. Most mark increases of a dozen or several dozen drones. Wednesday’s attack set a record for the most drones and missiles launched in a single night since the war began.
On Wednesday, Russia launched 728 exploding drones and decoys, according to Ukraine’s air force. That was 189 more drones than during the previous record volley of 539 drones, which came on Friday.
