Officials say Russia launched over 700 drones in the biggest attack of the war against Ukraine.

 KYIV, JULY 9 — Overnight, Russia launched more than 700 attack and decoy drones against Ukraine, the largest drone attack of the war so far, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday. This is the third time in two weeks that Russia has sent such a massive wave of drones, as part of its growing aerial and ground offensive in the ongoing three-year conflict.

Russia has been trying to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses by using large numbers of decoy drones alongside real attacks. This latest strike seemed aimed at disrupting Ukraine’s supply of Western weapons. The city of Lutsk, in western Ukraine near the Polish border, was hit the hardest. Lutsk is important because it has airfields used by the Ukrainian army and is a key point for receiving foreign military aid.

The attack came amid uncertainty about the continued supply of crucial American weapons, and as U.S.-led peace talks have stalled. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Kremlin was "making a point" with this strike.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it targeted Ukrainian air bases and claimed all their targets were hit. Meanwhile, Ukraine also launched drone attacks into Russia overnight, killing three people in the Kursk border region, including a 5-year-old boy, according to the local governor.

In total, Russia fired 728 drones and 13 missiles during the attack — the biggest single-night drone barrage so far. Just last Friday, Russia had launched 550 drones, and a few days earlier, 477, both record numbers at those times.

Besides Lutsk, 10 other Ukrainian regions were hit. One person died in the Khmelnytskyi region, and two were injured in the Kyiv area.

Poland, a NATO member, responded by scrambling fighter jets and putting its military on high alert, according to the Polish Armed Forces.

Russia’s larger army is also pushing hard along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukrainian forces are stretched thin.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is unhappy with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has not changed his demands for ceasefire and peace since Trump took office. Trump also said the U.S. needs to send more weapons to Ukraine, just days after Washington temporarily paused some arms deliveries.

The Kremlin responded by saying Trump has a "tough style" but hopes to continue dialogue and improve strained ties with Washington.

Zelenskyy called on Ukraine’s partners to impose stronger sanctions on Russian oil and those who finance the Kremlin’s war by buying it. He said, "Everyone who wants peace must act." Zelenskyy also met Pope Leo XIV in Italy ahead of an international conference on rebuilding Ukraine.

Ukraine and Russia Both Increasing Drone Use

Ukraine’s air defenses shot down 296 drones and 7 missiles during the overnight attack. Another 415 drones were lost on radar or jammed, the Ukrainian air force said.

Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine’s interceptor drones, made to counter Russian Shahed drones, are becoming more effective. Ukraine is also increasing its domestic production of anti-aircraft drones with help from some Western countries.

Western military experts say Russia is expanding its drone production and could soon launch up to 1,000 drones a night.

The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank, said Russia is boosting drone manufacturing because drones play a growing role in frontline fighting and nightly long-range attacks.

Ukraine has also developed offensive drones capable of striking deep inside Russia.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses downed 86 Ukrainian drones over six regions, including near Moscow.

Flights at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport and Kaluga airport were briefly suspended.

Drone Attacks Cause Civilian Casualties

In Russia’s Kursk region, a Ukrainian drone attack just before midnight killed three people and wounded seven, including a 5-year-old boy who died on the way to hospital.

International Court Ruling

Meanwhile, Europe’s top human rights court ruled that Russia violated international law during the war in Ukraine. This is the first time an international court has officially found Moscow responsible for human rights abuses since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

The court also ruled Russia was responsible for downing Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014, which killed 298 people. While largely symbolic, the ruling is significant in holding Russia accountable.

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