Ukrainian officials have reported that Russia has initiated its most significant drone assault since the onset of its full-scale invasion. The attack targeted multiple regions, including the capital city of Kyiv, where it has been confirmed that one woman lost her life.
This latest barrage of drone strikes came just a day prior to a planned discussion between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the US President advocating for a ceasefire. The situation escalated following the first face-to-face talks between Russia and Ukraine in over three years, which took place in Turkey on Friday. Although the two nations agreed on a new prisoner swap, little progress was made on broader issues.
Details of the drone attacks
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched a total of 273 drones by 08:00 on Sunday morning (05:00 GMT), with the central regions of Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk being the primary targets. Ukrainian defense forces intercepted 88 of these drones, while another 128 went off course without causing damage.
The drone strikes resulted in one fatality in the Obukhiv district, along with injuries to at least three individuals, including a four-year-old child. Previously, the largest drone attack by Russia occurred on the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion on February 23, when 267 drones were launched.
International responses and ongoing tensions
In a related context, Russian military sources claim to have intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones during the same overnight period. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on Sunday that he and the leaders of the UK, France, and Poland would be holding a virtual meeting with Trump before his talk with Putin on Monday morning. This coalition had previously visited Ukraine to advocate for a 30-day ceasefire.
Ukraine’s intelligence agency has raised concerns that Russia may be preparing for a “training and combat” launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile as a show of intimidation; however, Moscow has yet to respond to these allegations.
“For Russia, the negotiations [on Friday] in Istanbul are just a pretence. Putin wants war,” stated Andriy Yermak, a senior aide to the Ukrainian president.
Following the talks in Turkey, Trump remarked that meaningful progress towards peace would not occur until he and Putin met in person. The US President has suggested a 30-day ceasefire and indicated that tougher sanctions would be imposed if Russia fails to comply. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed a willingness to accept an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, yet Russia has indicated that it would only agree to a halt in hostilities if military supplies to Ukraine are suspended.
Putin has also stated that any negotiations must address the underlying causes of the conflict. Russia’s demands include Ukraine adopting a neutral status, reducing its military capacity, and renouncing its aspirations for NATO membership—conditions that Ukraine has outright rejected as tantamount to surrender.
Currently, Russia controls around 20% of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimea peninsula, which it illegally annexed in 2014. On Sunday, Zelensky was in the Vatican for a private meeting with Pope Leo following the inauguration mass, where he discussed the “low-level” delegation that Putin sent to Turkey, the necessity for sanctions against Russia, and potential pathways to achieving peace.