Ukraine launches massive drone attack on Russia and seizes Crimea as it seeks to force Putin to “end the war”

Gdańsk, Poland – Ukraine launched its strongest drone attack on Russia since then war began, targeting 12 regions in the neighboring nation and its Crimean Peninsula, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014.

Russia's Tass news agency said Ukraine shot down more drones in the attack than in any other attack in the past year. Russia's Defense Ministry said 660 drones were intercepted. The last major attack on Ukraine this year involved 556 drones, on May 17.

Ukrainian authorities said the air defense unit had repelled the Russian missile attack, while residents told CBS News they saw crosses above the capital Kyiv that sent debris tumbling to the ground.

Ukraine's National Security Service said Ukrainian drones hit two military ships and several air defense systems in the Kerch region of Crimea. Russian and Ukrainian channels on the Telegram social media have reported a strike at the Azot chemical plant in Russia's Tula region, marking the second time the facility has been targeted in two weeks.

CBS News could not confirm the strikes at the plant, which is one of Russia's largest producers of ammonia and nitrogen fertilizer. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that this facility is important for the production of explosives in Russia.

Analysts say strikes on energy and industrial infrastructure, in quick succession, have a major impact as they delay repairs and can keep key facilities closed for long periods of time.

Ukraine has stepped up strikes on Russia this spring and summer, targeting energy and logistics infrastructure across the country.

Reducing Russian air defense stocks and ever-increasing drone production in Ukraine has helped Kyiv seize new momentum this year, with analysts again other regional leaders to see the tide slowly turning in favor of Russia.

In 2024, when Ukraine began to intensify its strikes against Russia, it launched 110 long-range drones into the neighboring nation. This year, that number has already exceeded 3,000, according to data published in May by the Come Back Alive Foundation of Ukraine, a non-profit group that supports the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry published data on Friday showing that Kyiv has destroyed 1,447 Russian air defense systems since President Vladimir Putin ordered an all-out attack on Ukraine in 2022.

In recent weeks, Ukrainian strikes have focused more on Crimea. Ukraine's Defense Minister Mikhailo Fedorov said he hopes to turn the region into an “island,” separating the long-occupied territory from Russia.

On Friday, Russian authorities in Crimea declared a state of emergency after halting all sales of fuel to civilians due to the Ukrainian invasion earlier in the week.

Zelenskyy revealed in a social media post Thursday that Ukraine plans to intensify its strikes, announcing a “40-day occupation” that he said he “intends to enforce.” [Russia] to end the war.”