Energy News
WAR REPORT
Trump evokes Russia sanctions after largest assault on Ukraine
Trump evokes Russia sanctions after largest assault on Ukraine
By Victoria LUKOVENKO and Barbara WOJAZER
Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) July 5, 2025

US President Donald Trump said Russia just wanted to "keep killing people" and hinted at sanctions after Moscow launched its largest ever drone and missile attack on Ukraine in the three-year-old war.

Trump said Friday he was "very unhappy" about his telephone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying: "He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people, it's no good".

The US president said he and Putin talked about sanctions "a lot", adding: "He understands that it may be coming".

Hours-long Russian bombardments sent Ukrainians scurrying for shelters across the country and came after the call between Trump and Putin, which ended without a breakthrough.

AFP journalists in Kyiv heard drones buzzing over the capital and explosions ringing out throughout the night as Ukrainian air defence systems fended off the attack.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke to Trump Friday and said they agreed to work on bolstering Kyiv's defences.

"We spoke about opportunities in air defence and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies," Zelensky said on social media after the call.

Tymur, a Kyiv resident who said he had experienced previous Russian attacks, told AFP that the assault in the early hours of Friday felt different from others.

- 'Nothing like this happened' -

"Nothing like this attack had ever happened before. There have never been so many explosions," he said.

The Kremlin said Friday it was "preferable" to achieve the goals of its invasion through political and diplomatic means.

"But as long as that is not possible, we are continuing the special operation," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referring to Russia's invasion.

At least three people were wounded in Russian drone and artillery strikes on several parts of Eastern Ukraine overnight Friday to Saturday, regional governor Sergiy Lysak said on Telegram.

Zelensky said Friday air alerts began echoing out across the country as the Trump-Putin call was getting under way.

He urged the United States in particular to increase pressure on Moscow, which on Friday announced fresh territorial gains on the front line with the capture of a village in the Donetsk region.

Poland said its embassy building in Kyiv had been damaged in the attack but that staff were unharmed.

In Kyiv, one person was pulled from the rubble after the strikes, which also wounded at least 26 people, emergency services said.

The barrage, according to the air force, comprised 539 drones and 11 missiles.

A representative of Ukraine's air force told Ukrainian media that the attack was the largest of the Russian invasion.

- Escalating overnight attacks -

Overnight Russian attacks have escalated over recent weeks.

An AFP tally found Moscow launched a record number of drones and missiles at Ukraine in June, when direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow appeared to stall.

In Kyiv, AFP journalists saw dozens of residents of the capital taking shelter in a metro station.

Yuliia Golovnina, who said she sheltered at the metro regularly, described the worry that came with hearing an explosion during an attack.

"Will there be another one? Will something collapse on you?" the 47-year-old said.

"In those seconds, you just hold your breath and wait to see what happens next," she added.

In Kyiv, concerns mounted over whether the US would continue delivering military aid, which is key to Ukraine's ability to fend off the drone and missile barrages.

The US announced this week it was reducing some of its aid deliveries.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this was a clear signal that the 27-nation European Union needed to "step up".

Ukraine has also ramped up its retaliatory strikes in Russia, where a woman was killed by a Ukrainian drone attack overnight, the acting governor of the Rostov region said.

Talks, spearheaded by the United States to secure a ceasefire, have stalled.

Delegations from the two sides last met more than a month ago, when they agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each.

Russia announced a fresh swap of prisoners of war with Ukraine on Friday as part of that agreement.

Related Links
Space War News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
WAR REPORT
Russian navy head Mikhail Gudkov killed near Ukraine border
Washington DC (UPI) Jul 3, 2025
The Russian military confirmed today that the leader of the Russian navy was killed near the Ukrainian border. Major General Mikhail Gudkov, deputy head of the Russian military, was killed in an operation near the border. Russian defense ministry said the operation in the western Kursk region was "combat work." It gave no further details. The region borders Ukraine's Sumy region. It's one of the most high-profile losses by Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Russian ... read more

WAR REPORT
Successful liftoff delivers Sentinel4 on MTG satellite to enhance atmospheric forecasting

Europe launches first geostationary atmospheric sounder to boost extreme weather forecasts

Study challenges climate change's link to our wild winter jet stream

SatSure and Dhruva Space unite to deliver complete Earth observation service solutions

WAR REPORT
ESA and Neuraspace develop autonomous satellite navigation technologies

Bogong moths rely on stars and magnetic fields to guide epic migrations

Breakthrough hybrid model restores orbit accuracy for BeiDou-3 satellites

SpaceX launches advanced GPS satellite for Space Force

WAR REPORT
Facing climate change, Swiss trees get mist before they're missed

Satellite observations provide insight into post-wildfire forest recovery

Trump admin to open up vast area of forest to development

Chad hopes 'green charcoal' can save vanishing forests

WAR REPORT
Italy fines oil giant Eni over bioplastic market abuse

Acid vapor boosts durability of carbon dioxide-to-fuel devices

Turning CO2 into Sustainable Fuels Could Revolutionize Clean Energy

Cool science: Researchers craft tiny biological tools using frozen ethanol

WAR REPORT
New method boosts solar cell efficiency by fine-tuning nanorod spacing

China speeds up renewables building spree: report

Atomic 6 receives 2M Space Force award to advance next generation solar arrays

Sierra Space opens Power Station solar tech center in Colorado to boost defense production

WAR REPORT
UK ditches mega green energy supply project from Morocco

Trump admin ends halt on New York offshore wind project

Trump shift boosts offshore wind project: New York governor

Norway's Equinor slams 'unlawful' halt to US wind farm

WAR REPORT
SAfrica's coal dependency puts economy at risk: report

Glencore CEO defends "tough decisions" as unions lambast job cuts

WAR REPORT
After the revolution, Bangladesh warms to China as India fumes

China's abandoned buildings draw urban explorers despite risks

Hong Kong opposition party says it will disband

Tibetans face uncertain future as Dalai Lama turns 90; How the Dalai Lama is identified

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.