The Russia-Ukraine war has entered a brutal new phase. In July 2025, Russia unleashed its largest-ever aerial assault on Kyiv, a sign of its growing dominance on the battlefield. But how did we get here?

Russia launched a record number of drones at Ukraine overnight into Friday, striking multiple buildings and residential areas, hours after US President Donald Trump said he had made “no progress” towards a ceasefire deal in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Russia has bombarded Kyiv with the largest aerial attack since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Overnight on Thursday, Moscow launched 539 drone and 11 missile strikes that struck nearly every district of the Ukrainian capital,