(Deutsche Welle) On July 4th, just hours after a phone call between Trump and Putin, Russia launched its largest-scale drone and missile assault on Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine to date. Debris from the drones struck the consular section of the Polish embassy in Kyiv and China's consulate in Odesa.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated on social media platform X: "Putin has clearly shown contempt for the United States and all those calling for an end to the war. He is doing this intentionally." Investigators found Chinese-manufactured components in the wreckage of drones, indicating that these parts contributed to the attack on the Chinese consulate in Odesa.

Sybiha wrote that there is no more fitting metaphor for how Putin is escalating the war and terror while dragging other countries into it. This is not the first time the Chinese consulate in Odesa has been hit by Russian attacks; it was damaged during an assault in July 2023.

Additionally, the Ukrainian military reported it had targeted the BorisoGlebsk airbase in Russia's Voronezh region, where Russian Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM aircraft are deployed. They claimed to have struck a gliding bomb depot, training aircraft, and other equipment. This information has not been independently verified.

Ukrainian Armed Forces released a statement on Telegram emphasizing, "Defense forces are continuing to take all measures to weaken the capability of Russian occupiers to attack civilian infrastructure and force the Russian Federation to cease its armed invasion of Ukraine." The Governor of Voronezh, Aleksandr Gusev, reported damage in the region but did not detail specific targets.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated it intercepted 94 Ukrainian drones, 34 of which were shot down over the Voronezh region. Ukraine also reported that it faced a renewed wave of Russian drone attacks on Saturday morning, resulting in injuries, including a 12-year-old boy, in Chuhuiv.

Russia confirmed the death of senior commander Mikhail Gudkov in an attack in Ukraine on March 28th, marking him as the second Russian high-ranking general to be killed this year and the 16th since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The British Ministry of Defense stated, "Such losses of high-ranking officers may have degraded the command and control capabilities of some Russian forces. This may also lead to difficulties for the Russian military on tactical and operational levels."

On the same day, Trump expressed his discontent regarding the major Russian attack on Ukraine and later spoke with Ukrainian President Zelensky, with the conversation appearing to be quite positive. Trump mentioned that they discussed cooperation on air defense and agreed to jointly enhance the protection of Ukrainian airspace.