The Russia-Ukraine war has entered a brutal new phase. In July 2025, Russia unleashed its largest-ever aerial assault on Kyiv, a sign of its growing dominance on the battlefield. But how did we get here?

It was the latest in a series of almost weekly large-scale missile and drone attacks. President Trump said he “didn’t make any progress” with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

Russia hit Kyiv with its biggest aerial attacks of the war despite a call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.