In a major escalation, Russia launched 149 drones into Ukraine early Sunday, just hours after Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy met at Pope Francis' funeral in Vatican City.
Ukraine's air defense forces intercepted 57 drones while 67 others were lost mid-flight, according to military officials. The drone barrage targeted six Ukrainian regions - Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, Donetsk, Sumy and Cherkasy - causing damage across multiple areas.
The attack followed what White House Communications Director Steven Cheung called a "very productive" meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy at St. Peter's Basilica. On social media platform X, Zelenskyy characterized the talks as "good," noting they discussed protecting civilians and establishing "a full and unconditional ceasefire."
Trump later condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent attacks on Ukrainian cities, including a deadly missile strike on Kyiv. "There's no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas," Trump posted, suggesting Putin may need to face additional banking or secondary sanctions.
The drone assault represents a dramatic uptick in Russian attacks, with Ukraine reporting that Moscow launched 48 missiles and 442 attack drones in the past week alone. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it shot down eight Ukrainian drones during the same period.
The escalation comes despite apparent diplomatic progress, as Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow on Friday. Trump indicated the sides were "very close to a deal" but provided no specifics about the negotiations.
After three years of invasion and over a decade of cross-border aggression, the latest drone barrage underscores the challenges in securing lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, even as diplomatic efforts continue at the highest levels.