In the deadliest aerial assault since the war began in 2022, Russia launched a staggering 479 drones at Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.
The barrage, which included an additional 19 missiles, marks the most intense drone offensive in the three-year-long conflict.
Ukrainian air defence units reported successfully intercepting 460 of the drones, along with all but 10 of the projectiles, which reached their targets.
Officials in Kyiv said only one person was reported injured in the unprecedented attack.
Despite recent international pressure, including from United States President, Donald Trump, for a renewed focus on diplomacy, Moscow appears to be escalating its aerial campaign and ground offensives across eastern and northeastern fronts, which span roughly 1,000 kilometres of contested territory.
The latest wave of Russian drone strikes came just ahead of a prisoner exchange agreed upon during recent discussions between Russia and Ukraine.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the strain on Ukrainian forces in some combat zones, stating, “The situation is very difficult,” though he offered no specific updates on those areas.
Among the aerial targets reportedly struck was the Dubno airbase in Ukraine’s Rivne region, home to tactical aviation units. Rivne’s mayor, Oleksandr Tretyak, described the overnight assault as “the largest attack” his region has endured since the conflict began.
The uptick in Russian aggression may be a response to a reported Ukrainian drone strike that damaged multiple Russian bombers stationed deep inside Russia, an operation Kyiv has hailed as a strategic blow to the Kremlin’s cross-border missile capabilities.
While Ukraine continues to plead for more robust air defence systems from Western allies, uncertainty surrounding U.S. support has left Kyiv in a vulnerable position.
Meanwhile, diplomatic talks in Istanbul have yet to yield substantive peace agreements, although both sides did commit to a significant prisoner swap, involving an estimated 1,200 detainees from each country.
Following accusations from both nations over delays in fulfilling the prisoner exchange, the first phase of the swap was completed Monday afternoon.
“Today’s exchange has begun. It will be done in several stages in the coming days,” Zelenskyy confirmed via Telegram. “Among those we are bringing back now are the wounded, the severely wounded, and those under the age of 25.”
The Russian Ministry of Defence also confirmed the exchange took place and stated that the number of prisoners repatriated was equal on both sides, though it did not specify the figures.
Meanwhile, Russia claimed it intercepted 49 Ukrainian drones over seven of its regions overnight. Notably, two of the drones struck a facility in Chuvashia, located over 600 kilometres east of Moscow, that manufactures electronic warfare systems.
In the Voronezh region, Governor Alexander Gusev reported that 25 drones were downed, with some causing damage to a gas pipeline and igniting a small fire.
Ukraine’s armed forces also claimed responsibility for a covert strike on two Russian aircraft at the Savasleyka airfield in the Novgorod region, about 650 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.
The military did not disclose the methods used in the operation.
Russia has repeatedly used Iranian-made Shahed drones to target both military and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
According to the United Nations, these drone attacks have resulted in the deaths of more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians. Moscow, however, maintains that its strikes are strictly limited to military objectives.
