Russia launched a major bombardment of cities across Ukraine early on June 2, leaving over one hundred civilians dead or wounded. The attack, which focused primarily on Kyiv and Dnipro, was the most recent in a series of deadly overnight bombing raids beginning in early May that have signaled a new phase in Kremlin efforts to target Ukraine’s civilian population amid mounting indications that Russia’s invasion is stalling on the battlefield.
The latest Russian aerial attack lasted throughout the night and featured 656 drones along with 73 missiles, according to Ukrainian Air Force officials. Significantly, this included more than thirty ballistic missiles, making it one of the largest ballistic bombardments of the entire war.
While Ukraine has developed effective air defense strategies to counter Russian drones and cruise missiles, Kyiv remains heavily dependent on US-made Patriot air defense systems to defend against ballistic missiles. However, Ukraine is known to be currently running short of the expensive interceptor missiles used by the Patriot system. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin apparently intends to exploit this vulnerability.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged the threat posed by his country’s depleted air defenses and recently sent a written appeal to US President Donald Trump calling on him to facilitate the delivery of desperately needed Patriot interceptors. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to this letter by stating that the United States would “find a way” to help.
