A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Another night of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv has caused fires across the city, killing at least two people and injuring more than a dozen. The Trump administration says it has started sending weapons to Ukraine again. Russia is intensifying its attacks, and the Kremlin continues to ignore calls for a ceasefire. Joining us to discuss all this is NPR's Joanna Kakissis in Kyiv. And a warning, we will hear explosions during this conversation. Joanna, so tell us about the latest attacks where you are in Kyiv.
JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: Well, A, it was another very loud and pretty scary night here. We heard a number of these Iranian-designed attack drones flying over our neighborhood, buzzing. They sound like, you know, fleets of lawnmowers or mopeds. And then the sound of Ukrainian air defense units trying to shoot down the drones, as well as ballistic missiles.
(SOUNDBITE OF AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS FIRING)
KAKISSIS: It's shocking, but these sounds have become familiar. They're, like, part of life here right now. And at one point, we heard, like, an hour of almost continuous explosions. The airstrikes caused lots of fires and damage, hitting apartment buildings, gas stations, a health care center here in Kyiv. Lots of places.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. Why is Russia launching so many airstrikes right now?
KAKISSIS: You would think it might have something to do - it might be connected to President Trump saying he will send more defensive aid to Ukraine. I mean, just a couple of days ago, Russia launched nearly 730 drones at Ukraine. That's, like, a record. But actually, Russia has been stepping up drone and missile attacks since March. That's when Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the United States. Russia never signed on to that ceasefire.
MARTÍNEZ: So how close are these airstrikes to overwhelming Ukraine's air defenses? It sounds like it's just a lot to handle right now.
KAKISSIS: Yeah. Yeah, Ukraine's military says that's exactly what Russia's trying to do by sending hundreds of drones all at once. It's a challenge to shoot down so many, and at some point, Ukraine is going to run out of air defense munitions. I spoke to lawmaker Oleksandra Ustinova about the strategy. She chairs the Ukrainian Parliament's Committee on Arms Control, and she said Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to make significant progress on the battlefield.
OLEKSANDRA USTINOVA: That's why his new strategy is to threaten the civilian population and to kill as many civilians as he can. And in this case, the No. 1 priority for us is the air defense. And the No. 1 priority, I think, for our partners should be protecting the civilian population and our children.
KAKISSIS: So Ustinova says Ukraine relies on Western partners, including the United States, to provide systems and munitions that protect from airstrikes. Russia has also intensified its attacks on the 1,000-mile frontline, where Ukraine's army is spread very, very thin. So there's a lot resting on President Trump's promise to send additional air defense weapons to Ukraine.
MARTÍNEZ: Any hope for a ceasefire at this point?
KAKISSIS: Well, you know, President Trump said he did not make any progress toward a ceasefire during a phone call with Putin last week. And this week, he made some scathing statements about the Russian leader, saying Putin is, quote, "not treating human beings right" and is, quote, "killing too many people" in the war. But so far, the White House has not imposed any additional sanctions on Russia or tried to force Putin and the Kremlin to move toward a ceasefire. I spoke about this with Phillips O'Brien. He is a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
PHILLIPS O'BRIEN: I think as long as Putin believes the war is trending in his direction and Trump is totally uninclined to put any pressure on him, then I think Putin will keep fighting as long as he thinks the war is going in his direction.
KAKISSIS: So right now, A, Ukrainians are waiting to see if the Trump administration actually follows through on promises to provide defensive weapons, and they are hoping Congress will approve new U.S. sanctions on Russia.
MARTÍNEZ: All right, that's NPR's Joanna Kakissis. Joanna, thank you.
KAKISSIS: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
