Russia launched largest air attack yet on Ukraine

Russia Launches Largest Aerial Assault Yet on Ukraine, Killing 12

Russia has carried out its most intense aerial attack on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began, launching hundreds of drones and missiles in a single night. Ukrainian officials confirmed that at least 12 people, including three children, were killed and dozens more injured in the widespread assault.

The strikes, which began around 8:40 PM local time on Saturday, hit 13 regions across the country, with damage reported in 22 locations. According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia launched 367 aerial weapons—including missiles and drones—of which 45 cruise missiles and 266 UAVs were intercepted and destroyed.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, saying, “This brutality cannot be stopped without strong pressure on the Russian leadership.” He also criticized the global community’s muted response, stating, “The silence of America and others only encourages Putin.”

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko described the assault as a "combined, ruthless strike aimed at civilians." More than 60 people were injured, 80 residential buildings were damaged, and 27 fires were recorded.

Tragic deaths included three siblings—aged 8, 12, and 17—in Zhytomyr region, whose parents are hospitalized. In Kharkiv’s Kupiansk district, two women aged 85 and 56 were killed when their home was hit. The Kyiv region saw four fatalities and 16 injuries, including children.

The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, experienced one of the war’s heaviest attacks just the day before. As explosions rocked the city again, residents sheltered in metro stations. Fires broke out in several neighborhoods, and a dormitory and residential buildings were heavily damaged.

Despite the holiday weekend marking Kyiv Day, the city was under siege. President Zelensky emphasized the urgency of international support: “The world may go on a weekend break, but the war continues, regardless of weekends and weekdays. This cannot be ignored.”

Russia's defense ministry claimed the strikes targeted military facilities, including airfields and electronic warfare stations across 142 locations. However, the scale and civilian impact suggest a growing disregard for non-military targets.

Moscow’s latest wave of attacks follows a broader pattern: increased production and technological advancements in drone weaponry, including upgraded Shahed drones carrying heavier explosives and enhanced capabilities to avoid detection.

With over two years of war and 20% of Ukrainian territory—including Crimea—under Russian control, hopes for peace remain distant.

Russia Claims Drone Attacks Repelled as Prisoner Exchange Nears Completion

Russia reported it had intercepted and destroyed 110 Ukrainian drones over 12 regions and the annexed Crimea peninsula between midnight and 7:00 AM local time. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that 12 drones targeting the capital were shot down. Emergency services were dispatched to assess damage from falling debris.

In the Tula region, south of Moscow, drone fragments landed in the courtyard of a residential building, shattering windows in several apartments. No injuries were reported, according to local governor Dmitriy Milyaev.

The attacks came as Ukraine and Russia concluded the third and final day of a major prisoner of war exchange—the largest since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Over three days, both sides returned a total of 1,000 prisoners—390 each on Friday, 307 Ukrainians on Saturday, and 303 soldiers exchanged on Sunday. The swap was a rare act of cooperation following the first in-person talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in three years, held recently in Turkey.

Despite this significant development, hopes for broader cooperation remain dim.

Earlier this week, former U.S. President Donald Trump held a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a proposed ceasefire. Trump later claimed the conversation had gone “very well” and suggested that negotiations for an immediate ceasefire and a potential end to the war would begin.

However, President Putin has not agreed to any immediate ceasefire. Instead, he stated that Russia would work with Ukraine to develop a memorandum outlining a “possible future peace,” without committing to the 30-day ceasefire reportedly included in the U.S. proposal.