Kyiv : The Russia-Ukraine war took a dramatic turn early Sunday morning as Russia launched its largest drone strike on Ukraine to date. According to Ukrainian officials, Russia fired a total of 273 drones, marking the most extensive aerial assault since the war began. The previous record was set in February 2025 with 267 drones.
The primary targets of the attack were Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, along with the Dnipro and Donetsk regions. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that many of the drones were deliberately aimed at residential areas. In the Obukhiv district of Kyiv region, a 28-year-old woman was killed, while a 4-year-old child and two others were seriously injured. Several apartment buildings and critical infrastructure were also damaged.
Following the assault, a nine-hour-long air raid alert was in effect across Kyiv and surrounding regions. Ukraine’s air defense forces claimed they successfully shot down 88 drones, while 128 decoy drones crashed without causing damage.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Disinformation Center, remarked, “Russia has a pattern of using military escalation to overshadow failed diplomatic talks. This attack is a clear example.”
Peace Talks in Istanbul Fail; U.S. Steps In
Recently, peace talks between Russia and Ukraine were held in Istanbul, Turkey, for the first time in three years. However, the discussions ended without a ceasefire agreement. The only progress made was an exchange of prisoners.
In response, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he will personally speak to both President Putin and President Zelenskyy in an effort to resolve the crisis through diplomacy.
Civilian Bus Hit in Sumy; Zelenskyy Expresses Outrage
Just a day earlier, a Russian drone strike targeted a civilian bus in Ukraine’s Sumy region, killing nine civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, calling it a “deliberate strike on civilians,” and urged for stricter sanctions against Russia.
Russia, however, claimed it was targeting a military installation, a statement widely disputed by on-ground reports and images of civilian casualties.
This unprecedented drone assault marks a grim milestone in the ongoing conflict. As destruction mounts and casualties rise, the international community watches closely. Whether the war spirals further out of control or moves toward diplomatic resolution will depend on what unfolds in the coming days.