In one of the deadliest nights of the war, Russia Launches Deadliest Air Assault Yet as Ukraine Urges Stronger Global Response. Russia launched its most widespread and intense air assault since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian forces fired 367 drones and missiles in a coordinated overnight strike, devastating cities including Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa.