AMNA NAWAZ: Russia fired a large-scale barrage# of drones and missiles at Ukraine early today,## damaging apartment buildings in Kyiv,# Odesa and Kharkiv.

This comes as Russia## has been making incremental gains# on the ground in recent weeks,## and the diplomatic path for ending# the war is nowhere in sight.

Morning in Kyiv revealing the remains of a brutal# night, after Russia launched one of its biggest## attacks on the capital since the start of# the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Over 400## Russian drones and 19 missiles pummeled the city,# hitting energy facilities and apartment buildings.

Residents rushed out in terror and# confusion, clinging to their children.## Even amid the horror, resilience.

A# mother comforts her terrified toddler,## telling her: "Everything is all right,# my bunny.

We just need to run now."

Not everyone escaped.

At least six people# were killed in the attack and 35 injured.

ANASTASIA, Kyiv Resident (through# translator): I was terrified,## so terrified I didn't know what to do# first.

Should I rescue myself.. or should I run to help others?

Because# many people were screaming and needed help.

AMNA NAWAZ: Anastasia was among the survivors of a## Russian strike on her apartment# building, now a crumbling husk.

And in Ukraine's southern city of Odesa, another# overnight Russian drone strike killed two,## with one of the victims' bodies pinned under# a car; 11 more were injured.

Ukraine is still## fighting back, using the American-provided# Patriot air defense system, among others,## to shoot down 14 Russian missiles last night.

And it's gone on the offensive, launching# a long-range Neptune missile and over 200## drones overnight into Russia, hitting# military targets across the country,## setting ablaze the southwestern port of# Novorossiysk, where Russian forces fired## back, and the southeastern city of Saratov,# striking a key oil refinery used in the war.

On the front line, the fighting has been fierce,# with Russia making significant advances in the## last two months, capturing over 400 miles# of territory, 59 in the last week alone,## and continuing its advance on the city of# Pokrovsk in the east, where last week dozens## of Russian soldiers rolled in on motorcycles# as they encircled and seized part of the city.

Ukrainian soldiers fought back fiercely, but# Russian forces now control roughly half of## the city.

The war shows no signs of stopping.# And, on Tuesday, First Deputy Foreign Minister## of Ukraine Sergiy Kyslytsya said negotiations with# Russia had stopped, as progress had not been made.

Yesterday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov# responded that Russia will continue its invasion.

DMITRY PESKOV, Spokesman for# Vladimir Putin (through translator):## In the absence of the opportunity to# continue the conversation further,## of course, we will continue the special# military operation in every way possible## in order to achieve the goals that were# formulated by the supreme commander in chief,## by the president.

The position of the# Kyiv regime will deteriorate day by day.

AMNA NAWAZ: Also yesterday,# Ukraine's new ambassador to## the U.S.

urged President Trump# to provide Tomahawk missiles.

OLGA STEFANISHYNA, Ukrainian Ambassador to# the United States: When we're speaking about## Tomahawks, I think it's a fair discussion to have,# because we.. to peace settlement.

Even my president# after meeting with President Trump,## have been public in front of all of his# population and all American people that## stopping at existing line is an option.

So,# with all of that, the war is still raging on.

AMNA NAWAZ: A request that# Trump has recently denied.

QUESTION: Provide Ukraine with# long-range Tomahawk missiles,## does that sound like that# you're not considering that?

DONALD TRUMP, President of the# United States: No, not really.

AMNA NAWAZ: As the war rages on# now well into its third year.

For perspective on this, we turn now to retired# Colonel Robert Hamilton.

He spent much of his## army career specializing in the former Soviet# Union.

He's now founder and president of the## Delphi Global Research Center.

That's a nonprofit# focusing on military developments across Eurasia.

Colonel, welcome, and thanks for joining us.

Let's just begin with your assessment# of last night's attack on Kyiv,## one of the biggest of the war.

Why a Russian# attack of that scale at this point in the war?

COL.

ROBERT HAMILTON (RET.

), Delphi# Global Research Center: Well, thank## you for the invitation.

.. So, last night's attack, while big, 430 drones# and 18 ballistic missiles of differen.. is not unprecedented.

Russia is able to do# this roughly once every week or 10 days,## in other words, carry out an attack of this size.

It was focused on Kyiv because Russia, as# the winter approaches, has been focusing## on two things, one, energy infrastructure to# try to turn the lights and turn the heat off## in Ukraine over the winter to make it as tough as# possible on the civilian population of Ukraine.

And then, secondly, they have been# focusing specifically on Kyiv.

So,## Kyiv has actually been the city, as the capital# city and the largest city in Ukraine, it's really## been a focus of these Russian air attacks over# the last several months.

And I think the idea is## to turn out the lights specifically in Kyiv and# turn off the heat in Kyiv, because the Ukrainian## government's there, it's the largest city,# and it's the center of gravity of the country.

So I think that's the logic# behind these Russian strikes.

AMNA NAWAZ: And what do you take away from last## night about Ukraine's ability# to continue to defend itself?

COL.

ROBERT HAMILTON (RET.

): Yes, so Ukraine's# defense against the air attack -- so the war is## unfolding in domains, right?

It unfolds on the# ground, and, there, we're focused on Pokrovsk.

It unfolds in the air.

It# unfolds at sea.

The air domain,## which is what we're talking about with the Russian# strikes last night, Ukraine has a good capability## to destroy drones and missiles.

They routinely# destroy the majority of what Russia launches.

But, first of all, when you launch# over 400 drones, even if you destroy## the vast majority of them, dozens will# still get through.

So it's problematic.## But Ukraine also has an offensive air capability,# which they demonstrated last night by hitting a## Russian oil export terminal in Novorossiysk, which# is one of the largest export terminals Russia has.

It accounts for about 2 percent of global# oil trade.

So hitting Novorossiysk was a## strategic strike on the Russian# economy.

The difference here is,## Ukraine is hitting military targets or targets# that are directly related to Russia's ability## to make war.

Russia is hitting things like# apartment buildings, markets, hospitals,## and schools, essentially just trying# to terrorize the Ukrainian population.

AMNA NAWAZ: What about manpower when it comes to# Ukrainian forces?

I recall being there last year,## asking President Zelenskyy about that issue.# They were just lowering the draft age then## from 27 to 25.

Is that manpower an issue# and is it showing up on the battlefield?

COL.

ROBERT HAMILTON (RET.

): It's the biggest# issue.

Manpower is Ukraine's biggest issue.

And, increasingly, both Ukrainians# and foreign analysts who are looking## at the war are coming to the conclusion# that Ukraine will probably have to lower## the involuntary draft age below 25.

As you# mentioned, it was 27 at the start of the war,## lowered to 25.

It probably needs to go lower# because, look, there are places on the front lines## around Pokrovsk where 1,000 yards of frontage# is covered by four to seven Ukrainian soldiers.

Just for perspective and comparison, by U.S.

Army# doctrine, a U.S.

infantry company, which is about## 150 people, would normally be responsible# for 500 to 800 meters of frontage.

And so,## in Ukraine, in places along the line, you# have got four to seven people responsible## for more frontage than an entire U.S.

infantry# company would normally be responsible for.

It's a huge problem.

Ukraine has been# able to make up for some of it by the## use of drones and artillery, especially# drones, to cover parts of the front line## where their manpower is very thin.

But as# the winter sets in, the weather gets worse,## the clouds roll in, it's rainy, it's# foggy, drones are less effective.

And that's part of the reason the## Russians were able to infiltrate# Ukrainian lines arou.. AMNA NAWAZ: Colonel, I have got less than# a minute left, but I have to ask you.

We showed that video of Russian forces# rolling into Pokrovsk on motorcycles in## kind of a ragtag fashion.

What do you take away# from that, what it says about the Russian forces,## and also why this city and the# strategic gains Russia has made?

COL.

ROBERT HAMILTON (RET.

): Yes,# I wouldn't call them strategic.## I would call them operational, right?# And maybe we're splitting hairs .. But, in military, we talk about tactical,# operational and strategic levels of war and## effects.

It's more than tactical, because# Pokrovsk is astride -- it sits astride a## major road and a major rail line.

And# so it is operationally significant.

But the Ukrainians, as long as they# don't get cut off, as long as their## pocket in Pokrovsk is not surrounded and# they're able to withdraw in good order,## they will preserve the integrity of their lines.# The Russians have not shown an ability to exploit## any of these breakthroughs they make.

And these# breakthroughs are really infiltrations, right?

The Ukrainian lines are not being severed# or broken.

Russians are getting two, three,## four people behind the lines, and then following# that up with larger forces, as you saw in the## video with the motorcycles, the dune buggies,# and the four-wheelers, the other vehicles.

But both sides are doing that,## because large military vehicles don't# survive long on this battlefield.

AMNA NAWAZ: That is retired Colonel# Robert Hamilton joining us tonight.

Colonel, thank you so much# for your time and insight.

COL.

ROBERT HAMILTON (RET.

): Thank you.