Russia launches biggest-ever aerial attack on eastern Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad

The six-hour bombardment was the worst in the city’s history. (File photo/Reuters)

Russia launched biggest ever attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad overnight into Saturday with hundreds of drones, as it stepped-up bombing campaign that has dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than 3-year-old war.

It was a part of a large wave of strikes across the country involving hundreds of kamikaze drones and ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X, saying Russia fired over 300 drones, along with more than 30 cruise missiles.

The six-hour bombardment was the worst in the city’s history. The head of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Sergey Lysak, said a factory had been damaged, a fire station destroyed and a five-storey residential building hit, according to a report by The Guardian.

“A hellish night and morning for Pavlohrad. The most intense attack on the city. Explosion after explosion. Russian terrorists targeted it with missiles and drones,” he said.

The attack came soon after Gen Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, flew back to Washington after a six-day visit to Kyiv. The White House announced a large-scale arms package to Ukraine this week, including additional Patriot anti-aircraft systems, to be paid for by European allies.