Putin’s Revenge Continues: Kharkiv Hit by Largest Drone Strike in History

Three people lost their lives and 21 were injured when Russian forces carried out the most extensive drone assault to date on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, during the night leading into Saturday.

According to the city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, a total of 48 drones, two missiles, and four glide bombs were launched at the city over a period of one and a half hours.

A City in Flames

Among the targeted sites were multiple apartment buildings and private homes. Video footage from the scene shows firefighters battling flames engulfing a residential complex.

“There is extensive destruction,” Terekhov told the press shortly after the attack.

He described a night of relentless bombardment, during which residents were forced to take shelter in underground bunkers.

A Predicted ‘Retaliatory Strike’

The attack came just days after Ukraine launched a massive drone assault on Russian airbases, reportedly disabling several fighter jets, according to Western media.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the Ukrainian attack had given Vladimir Putin “a reason to bomb them back.”

International Outrage

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded harshly to the overnight attack, accusing Western leaders of inaction. “Those who allow this to happen without intervening share the blame,” he said in a video statement.

Zelensky especially criticized Trump, who has yet to show any willingness to pressure Putin into negotiations.

Darkness Descends

With the attack on Kharkiv, the conflict has entered a new and grim phase, in which retaliation and military escalation seem to overshadow diplomatic efforts. “This is not the deadliest attack, but it is the most intense,” noted the BBC’s correspondent Paul Adams from Kyiv.

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