Russia launched record drone attack overnight, Ukraine says

Russia launched 355 drones into Ukraine overnight, along with nine cruise missiles, according to a Monday morning statement from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. Ukrainian air defense shot down about 230 drones and all nine missiles, the ministry said. The attack marked a record number of UAVs launched since Russia’s 2022 invasion, according to the statement. Strengthening Ukraine’s air defense is essential, and more air defense systems and interceptors are needed, the statement added.

Ukrainians were injured from the attack, and civilian infrastructure was damaged, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday morning. Zelenskyy described the strikes as stretching from the northern region of Chernihiv to the western region of Khmelnytskyi, and the northeastern region of Kharkiv into the southern Odesa region. This marked the third consecutive night of Russian air strikes, Zelenskyy said. These attacks have no military logic but are politically significant, showing Russia’s sense of perceived international impunity, he added. Zelenskyy called for countries to increase sanctions on Russia for the attacks. Russia must be deprived of resources that fuel the fight if the war is to end, he said.

The brutal attacks over the weekend prove Russia is not ready for peace, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Monday. She added that Nordic leaders agreed to reaffirm their strong support for Ukraine during a Monday meeting in Finland. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also reiterated European support for Ukraine on Monday. Ukraine has proven that it's ready to negotiate peace, while Moscow responds by attacking with an unprecedented number of missiles and drones, Wadephul said. Ukraine can rely on Europe until Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith, he added.

What has Russia said in response? Russia’s strike was retaliatory and targeted only military facilities, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. Peskov discussed the recent negotiations between Russia and Ukraine held in Turkey, noting that peace talks are stalled for the time being. There’s no understanding of when or where to continue talks, so it’s premature to discuss the next round, he said. Russia’s drafted peace proposal has not been submitted yet, Peskov added. It’s a very serious document that must be thoroughly weighed, the spokesman said. Peskov thanked President Donald Trump for organizing the negotiations but emphasized that in the end, Putin will make decisions to ensure Russia’s security.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report on a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine last Friday.