Russia carried out its most intense drone attack on Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022, launching 273 explosive drones and decoys overnight into Sunday. The unprecedented assault followed failed peace talks in Istanbul between Ukrainian and Russian delegations, which ended without a ceasefire agreement.
Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting 88 drones and disabling another 128 through electronic jamming. The strikes targeted Kyiv, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk, killing a 28-year-old woman and injuring three others, including a 4-year-old child, according to regional officials. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat confirmed the barrage as the largest since the invasion began.
The drone assault comes just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer for face-to-face talks in Turkey. Despite Putin’s previous calls for negotiations, he declined direct presidential-level dialogue. The two sides agreed only to a mutual exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war, with Ukraine’s intelligence chief suggesting the exchange could occur next week.
President Donald Trump announced he will speak by phone Monday with Putin, then follow up with conversations with Zelenskyy and NATO leaders to discuss a path toward ending the war. Trump described the goal of the talks as “STOPPING THE ‘BLOODBATH’,” emphasizing the urgency of halting further escalation.
The Kremlin’s drone campaign escalated just as the West hoped for diplomatic progress, raising concerns that Moscow may be using overwhelming aerial assaults to strengthen its position ahead of any potential ceasefire. Meanwhile, Russia claimed to have shot down 25 Ukrainian drones in its own airspace overnight.
With Ukraine under pressure and Russia intensifying its military actions, the stakes for Monday’s proposed calls between Trump and world leaders could not be higher.
