The most significant drone assault launched by Russia since the onset of the full-scale war in 2022 resulted in the death of a woman in the Kyiv region and left at least three others injured, according to Ukrainian officials early Sunday. This escalation by Moscow followed peace discussions that took place on Friday.
By 8 a.m. local time, Russian forces had deployed 273 drones targeting various regions, including Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk, as reported by Ukraine’s air force.
This incident marked the largest drone offensive from Russia since the conflict commenced, surpassing the previous record set on February 23, 2025, when 267 drones were launched on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
During this overnight attack, a 28-year-old woman was killed in the capital region, and at least three others, among them a four-year-old child, sustained injuries, according to Ukrainian sources.
“Mykola Kalashnik, the Kyiv region governor, mentioned on Telegram, ‘Regrettably, a woman succumbed to her wounds as a result of the enemy’s assault in the Obukhiv district.'”
Air raid alerts sounded continuously for nine hours overnight in Kyiv and its surrounding areas, as well as in eastern Ukraine, until they were lifted around 9 a.m. local time. Military officials indicated that air defense systems were activated multiple times in an effort to counter the attacks.
“It’s been an arduous night. The Russians have consistently utilized warfare and assaults to instill fear during negotiations,” Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation in Ukraine, remarked on Telegram in reference to the attack.
Air defense units managed to intercept 88 of the drones during the night. The offensive also included 128 decoy drones that did not reach their targets, as stated by Ukraine’s air force.
A separate Russian drone strike on Saturday claimed the lives of nine civilians when it struck a shuttle bus in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine, as reported by Kyiv. President Zelensky described the attack as “intentional” and called for more stringent sanctions against Moscow, which contended it had targeted a military installation.
All those injured in the Obukhiv district, located just south of Kyiv, were taken to hospitals, according to Kalashnik. He also mentioned that several residential buildings suffered damage in the area.
In Kyiv, debris from a destroyed drone impacted the roof of a non-residential structure, according to the city’s military administration, which reported no injuries resulting from the incident.
Witnesses from Reuters in and around Kyiv reported hearing explosions that resembled the sounds of air defense systems being activated. Russia has not issued any immediate response.
Both sides assert that they do not target civilians amid the conflict, although thousands have perished, predominantly Ukrainians.
Recent direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the first in three years, on Friday did not result in a temporary ceasefire, which Kyiv and its allies have been advocating for. However, the discussions lasting 100 minutes in Istanbul included an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each side.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.
