Russia launches war's largest air attack on Ukraine

Russian forces launched a massive overnight aerial assault on Ukrainian cities, firing 367 drones and missiles in what officials say is the largest single attack of the war to date. At least 12 people were killed and dozens more injured in strikes that targeted multiple regions, including the capital Kyiv.

Among the dead were three children in the northern Zhytomyr region, according to local officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the United States and other international powers to speak out more forcefully against Russia. In a message on Telegram, he criticized the silence from some global actors, warning that it only emboldens Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Every such terrorist Russian strike is reason enough for new sanctions against Russia,” Zelenskyy said.

Though other attacks have caused higher death tolls, Ukrainian authorities confirmed this was the largest assault in terms of munitions used. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said the strike was "a combined, ruthless attack aimed at civilians," calling it an effort to spread "fear and death."

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia had launched 298 drones and 69 missiles, of which 266 drones and 45 missiles were intercepted.

Cities hit included Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, as well as Mykolaiv in the south, Ternopil in the west, and the capital Kyiv. While no deaths were reported within Kyiv itself, 11 people were injured there, and four others were killed in surrounding areas.

In Kharkiv, drones hit three districts, injuring three people and shattering windows in residential towers. Mykolaiv saw the death of a 77-year-old man and injuries to five others. In the western Khmelnytskyi region, far from the front lines, four people were killed and five wounded.

The attack marks the second major aerial bombardment in as many days, following a wave of drone and missile strikes Friday night.

The escalation comes amid ongoing efforts to broker a 30-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. However, those talks suffered a setback when former U.S. President Donald Trump, now back in office, declined to impose new sanctions on Moscow for rejecting a temporary halt in fighting.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia are also engaged in a large-scale prisoner exchange, set to conclude with both sides returning 1,000 detainees.

Ukrainian officials continued to press for international action. Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, warned that without increased pressure, Russia and its allies would only continue to build their military capacity.

"Moscow will fight as long as it has the ability to produce weapons," Yermak said.

In response, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting 95 Ukrainian drones over a four-hour period. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 12 of those were shot down while en route to the capital.