Russia Escalates Overnight Attacks Across Ukraine

Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine overnight, striking numerous regions and killing at least 12 people, including three children. Dozens more were injured, according to emergency services and regional officials. This marks the second significant wave of attacks in just 48 hours, following heavy bombardment of Kyiv the previous day.

Saturday’s strikes, which killed 13 people across the country, occurred despite recent diplomatic developments, including ongoing prisoner exchanges. However, Russia continues to reject calls for a ceasefire.

Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Russia has occupied roughly 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

Ukraine’s air force reported that since 20:40 local time on Saturday (17:40 GMT), Russia had launched 367 weapons, including various types of missiles and drones. Ukrainian defenses intercepted 45 cruise missiles and downed 266 UAVs. The attacks hit 22 locations across the country, with defensive efforts active in 15 regions.

This escalation follows a previous night of attacks involving 14 ballistic missiles and 250 drones that impacted six regions.

Among the casualties:

In Kyiv region, four people died and 16 were injured, including three children. Fires broke out, damaging homes and residential buildings, including a dormitory.

In the capital Kyiv, 11 people were injured. Hundreds sought refuge in metro stations as the city prepared to celebrate Kyiv Day.

In Khmelnytskyi, four deaths and five injuries were reported, with significant damage to private homes.

In Zhytomyr, three children aged 8, 12, and 17 died, with 10 more people injured.

In Mykolaiv, an elderly man was killed and five injured when a drone hit a residential building.

In Kharkiv, three people were reported injured.

Meanwhile, Russia claimed to have destroyed 110 Ukrainian drones over 12 Russian regions and Crimea between midnight and 7 a.m. Moscow time. In Moscow, 12 drones were shot down near the capital, and drone debris caused minor damage in the Tula region, though no injuries were reported.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Russian air defenses successfully intercepted and shot down 12 Ukrainian drones that were heading toward the capital. In response to the incident, emergency services were promptly deployed to various locations around Moscow to inspect and assess any damage caused by debris from the downed drones. The fallout from these interceptions resulted in minor destruction, including broken windows and structural disturbances. One notable incident occurred in the Tula region, located just south of Moscow, where drone wreckage crashed into the courtyard of a residential building. According to regional governor Dmitriy Milyaev, the impact shattered windows in multiple apartments, but fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

These drone incidents coincided with a period of renewed diplomatic engagement between Russia and Ukraine, centered around humanitarian exchanges. After years of intense fighting and stalled diplomacy, the two nations reached an agreement in Turkey to carry out large-scale prisoner swaps. As a result of these talks, on Friday, Ukraine and Russia each released 390 individuals—including both soldiers and civilians—in what marked the largest prisoner exchange since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022. This move was seen as a significant humanitarian gesture amid ongoing hostilities.

Following the initial swap, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday that a second group of 307 Ukrainian prisoners had also been returned home. These continued exchanges are part of a broader agreement between Kyiv and Moscow to swap a total of 1,000 prisoners each, representing a rare point of cooperation in an otherwise brutal and drawn-out conflict. While these developments offer a glimmer of hope for the families of those released, they take place against a backdrop of escalating military violence, with both sides continuing aerial attacks and battlefield operations, signaling that a lasting peace remains elusive for now.

Despite the violence, both countries have engaged in major prisoner exchanges. On Friday, Ukraine and Russia each released 390 individuals. Another 307 Ukrainian prisoners were returned on Saturday, with further exchanges expected.

These swaps follow recent face-to-face talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey — the first in three years. Earlier in the week, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a two-hour phone call about a proposed U.S.-led ceasefire plan. Trump described the conversation as productive and expressed optimism that peace negotiations would begin soon.

However, President Putin has not committed to the proposed 30-day ceasefire, stating only that Russia would work with Ukraine on drafting a “memorandum” outlining a potential path to peace.