Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Yet

Russia has launched its biggest air attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, using hundreds of drones and missiles in an overnight assault. Ukrainian officials reported at least 12 people killed, including three children, and dozens more injured.

This was the second major attack in just two days, following one of the heaviest assaults on Kyiv since the invasion began in 2022. The latest strikes hit over 30 cities and villages across Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks, saying Russia is prolonging the war and killing innocent people daily. He urged stronger international pressure on Moscow, warning that “America’s silence will only encourage Putin.” He called for fresh sanctions and insisted that only intense pressure can stop the aggression.

What Happened:

• Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 367 missiles and drones starting Saturday evening.
• 45 cruise missiles were shot down and 266 drones neutralized.
• 13 regions were targeted, with 22 cities hit.
• More than 70 people were injured, and 80 residential buildings were damaged.
• Multiple fires broke out, including in Kyiv, where people took shelter in metro stations.

The children killed—aged 8, 12, and 17—were all from the same family in the Zhytomyr region. Their parents were hospitalized. Four others died in the Kyiv region, and many more were wounded.

Meanwhile, Russia also claimed to have intercepted 110 Ukrainian drones over Russian territories and Crimea. Debris from a downed drone damaged buildings in the Tula region, south of Moscow, though no casualties were reported.

Prisoner Exchanges:

Despite escalating violence, both sides carried out a major prisoner swap over three days:

• 1,000 prisoners each were exchanged between Ukraine and Russia.
• It marked the largest such swap since the war began and followed the first face-to-face talks between the countries in years.

Ceasefire Prospects:

Former US President Donald Trump recently spoke with Putin about a possible ceasefire. While Trump said the talks went “very well” and expected negotiations to begin, Putin only agreed to work on a “memorandum” for future peace, not an immediate ceasefire.