KYIV, Ukraine – A brutal wave of Russian drone and missile attacks early Tuesday morning left three people dead and at least 13 others injured in Ukraine. The strikes targeted the capital city of Kyiv and the southern port city of Odesa, marking one of the most significant assaults in the ongoing conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack on Kyiv as “one of the biggest” since the war began over three years ago. He reported that Russian forces launched over 315 drones, primarily Shahed models, along with seven missiles during the overnight assault. In a statement, Zelenskyy urged for “concrete action” from the United States and Europe, emphasizing that “Russian missile and Shahed strikes are louder than the efforts of the United States and others around the world to force Russia into peace.”

In Odesa, the attack caused significant damage to a maternity hospital and residential buildings, resulting in two fatalities and nine injuries, according to regional head Oleh Kiper. In Kyiv, an additional victim was reported in the Obolon district, as confirmed by regional head Tymur Tkachenko. He stated, “Russian strikes are once again hitting not military targets but the lives of ordinary people. This once again shows the true nature of what we are dealing with.”

Eyewitness accounts from Associated Press journalists described the chaos, with explosions and the sound of buzzing drones echoing throughout the city for hours. The attacks followed a massive drone bombardment the previous day, where nearly 500 drones were launched at Ukraine.

The recent escalation in violence comes amid ongoing peace talks in Istanbul, which have yet to yield a ceasefire agreement. Both sides have exchanged prisoners of war, but the negotiations have stalled due to contentious clauses that both parties view as unacceptable. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the body exchange, stating, “There is one unarguable fact, we have had trucks with bodies standing ready for it on the border for several days.”

As air defense forces engaged in efforts to intercept the incoming threats, residents in Kyiv sought refuge in metro stations. Nina Nosivets, a 32-year-old mother, described her experience: “I just try not to think about all this, silently curled up like a mouse, wait until it all passes, the attacks.” Another resident, Krystyna Semak, recounted her fear, saying she ran to the metro at 2 a.m. with her rug.

The attacks resulted in fires breaking out in at least four districts of Kyiv, with debris from intercepted drones causing damage to residential buildings and warehouses. Vasyl Pesenko, 25, shared his harrowing experience: “I was lying in bed, as always hoping that these Shaheds would fly past me, and I heard that Shahed that hit the house.”

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that the Russian assault sparked 19 fires across Ukraine. He stated, “Russia must answer for every crime it commits. Until there is justice, there will be no security. For Ukraine. And for the world.”

In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the strikes targeted military installations in Kyiv, including arms plants and troop locations. They asserted that “the goals of the strikes have been achieved, all the designated targets have been hit.”

The death toll from previous attacks continued to rise, with the mayor of Kharkiv reporting the discovery of a body trapped under rubble from a drone-and-missile strike, bringing the total casualties in that incident to five. In Sumy, a 17-year-old boy succumbed to injuries from a June 3 strike, increasing the death toll from that attack to six.

In response to the drone attacks, the Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 102 Ukrainian drones over various regions, including Crimea. The assaults prompted temporary flight restrictions at multiple airports across Russia, including all four airports in Moscow.