In a record-breaking drone attack early Sunday, Moscow unleashed 273 drones on Ukraine, marking the largest assault since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion began in 2022. This aggressive move came just two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed ceasefire negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in Turkey.
The Ukrainian air force reported that the drone attack resulted in significant casualties, with at least one woman confirmed dead in the Kyiv region. The assault also targeted the eastern regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk, raising concerns that the number of casualties could rise as officials continue to assess the damage, as noted by the Kyiv Independent.
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia employed numerous decoy drones during this operation, as nearly half of the attacking drones disappeared from radar systems. Despite this, Ukrainian forces successfully intercepted approximately 88 drones, demonstrating their resilience and effective air defense capabilities.
In response to the escalating conflict, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would reach out to both Putin and Zelenskyy on Monday in an attempt to broker peace. While Zelenskyy participated in discussions regarding a ceasefire in Turkey last week, Putin notably did not send any representatives to the talks.
European leaders are currently far from discussing the possibility of peacekeeping troops for Ukraine, as articulated by newly elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome. Merz emphasized the importance of establishing a ceasefire as the critical first step, stating, “There is no reason to talk about troops at the moment; we are far from that. We want the weapons to stop, the killing to end.”
During a recent meeting in Tirana, Albania, European leaders also deliberated on potential sanctions aimed at increasing pressure on Russia, indicating a unified stance among European nations to address the ongoing conflict.
