Hours after Trump-Putin call, Moscow pounds Ukraine cities with barrage of missile and drone strikes

Waves of drone and missile attacks targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began more than three years ago, officials said, amid a renewed Russian push to capture more of its neighbour's land.

The barrage injured at least 23 people and inflicted severe damage across multiple districts of the capital in a seven-hour onslaught. Blasts lit up the night sky and echoed across the city as air raid sirens wailed. The blue lights of emergency vehicles reflected off high-rise buildings, and debris blocked city streets. "It was a harsh, sleepless night," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Less than a week ago, Russia launched what was then the largest aerial assault of the war. 

Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine during the night, the country's air force said. The majority were Shahed drones.

Alya Shahlai, a 23-year-old Kyiv wedding photographer, said her home was destroyed in the attack.

"We were all in the (basement) shelter because it was so loud, staying home would have been suicidal," she told The Associated Press. "We went down 10 minutes before and then there was a loud explosion and the lights went out in the shelter, people were panicking."

Pentagon halts defence aid 

The US has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defence missiles. Ukraine's main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time.

Trump ‘not happy’ with Putin

The attack on Kyiv began the same day a phone call took place between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy called the timing of the strikes a deliberate signal that Moscow has no intention of ending the war. 

Trump said he would call Zelenskyy on Friday. US-led international peace efforts have been fruitless so far. Recent direct peace talks have led only to sporadic exchanges of prisoners of war and fallen soldiers. When asked if he made any progress with Putin on a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine, he said: "No, I didn't make any progress with him today at all." 

"I'm not happy about that. I'm not happy about that," Trump said of Russia's war in Ukraine. "I don't think he's looking to stop" the war, Trump said later of Putin. "I didn't make any progress with him at all," he emphasised.