‘Issue of our national interest’: Russia's Ukraine war is 'existential', says Kremlin; massive strikes hit Kyiv

Russia declared its war in Ukraine an “existential” battle for its survival on Friday, just hours after launching one of its most intense aerial attacks in the three-year conflict.

At least three people were killed in Kyiv as more than 400 drones and over 40 missiles were fired across six regions of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials.

“For us it is an existential issue, an issue of our national interest, safety, of our future and the future of our children, of our country,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, responding to US President Donald Trump's controversial remark comparing Russia and Ukraine to “fighting kids”.

The overnight assault, described as “massive” by Russia’s defence ministry, was billed as retaliation for a daring Ukrainian drone attack on Russian airbases earlier this week.

According to news agency AFP, Ukrainian officials said the barrage struck nine regions, including Lviv, Volyn and Kyiv, leaving dozens injured and critical infrastructure damaged.


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of escalating the war, warning that failure to rein in Russia would amount to complicity. “If someone does not put pressure and gives the war more time to take lives, they are complicit and responsible. We need to act decisively,” he said on social media.

Three emergency responders were killed in Kyiv while attending to earlier strikes, according to Interior Minister Igor Klymenko. “They were working under fire to help people,” he said, noting nine more were wounded and “doctors are fighting for their lives.”

AFP journalists in Kyiv reported prolonged air raid sirens and explosions through the night. In one district, a multi-storey building was left with a gaping hole, and windows were shattered across nearby homes. “We heard a drone — we heard it coming very close, and then there was an explosion,” resident Ksenia was quoted as saying by AFP.

The attacks follow a Ukrainian strike on Russian airfields that damaged nuclear-capable bombers deep within Siberia. The Ukrainian operation involved smuggling over 100 small drones into Russia, positioning them near airbases, and launching a coordinated assault.

In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of retaliation, with Russia’s defence ministry claiming it hit Ukrainian “arms depots, drone factories and repair facilities” using long-range precision weapons.

Despite US-backed peace efforts, talks between Kyiv and Moscow have produced no breakthroughs. While Ukraine has proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and direct talks between Zelensky and Putin, the Kremlin continues to demand a full Ukrainian military withdrawal from four occupied regions and a ban on NATO membership — conditions Kyiv rejects.

Kyiv officials said at least 49 people were injured nationwide. In Russia, drone attacks reportedly damaged facilities in Tula and Saratov, and air defences downed 174 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to Moscow’s defence ministry.