Russia carried out a new wave of drone strikes on Ukraine overnight into Sunday morning, as the country continued to grapple with a weekend of deadly aerial attacks that, according to Kyiv, claimed the lives of at least 24 people.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 119 Shahed attack drones overnight, with 73 being intercepted and destroyed, while 37 were lost in flight without causing any damage.
Reports of impacts came from multiple regions, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia, according to a statement posted by the air force on Telegram.
At the same time, Ukraine continued its own long-range strikes against Russia on Saturday night. Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that it had shot down 88 Ukrainian drones across eight different Russian regions.
In response, Russia’s federal air transport agency introduced temporary operational restrictions at airports in Astrakhan, Kazan, and Nizhny Novgorod.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a social media post on Sunday morning, attributed each Russian attack to the failure of the Western-led sanctions against Moscow.
“Every Shahed, every aerial bomb used by Russia includes components supplied in circumvention of sanctions,” he wrote. “These weapons contain more than 82,000 foreign components.”
He further emphasized Ukraine’s ongoing diplomatic efforts, stating, “Every day, we work with our partners to ensure that decisions are made precisely for the support that saves lives: the supply of air defense, investments in our defense production, strengthening sanctions against Russia. And we continue our work to bring a fair peace closer and provide reliable security guarantees.”
Russia has intensified its long-range strikes on Ukraine over the past week, a move that coincides with President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend all military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Trump’s aim is to pressure Ukraine into negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow’s three-year-old invasion.
On Friday night, Russia launched 145 drones and three missiles into Ukraine, according to the air force, which reported successfully downing 79 drones, while 54 others were lost in flight.
Saturday’s strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 24 people in Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Odesa. Among the targeted locations were residential buildings and a shopping center in the Donetsk city of Dobropillia, which was hit by both ballistic missiles and drones.
Ukraine’s European allies issued strong condemnations of Russia’s latest attacks.
Russia Attack on Kyiv
“This is what happens when someone appeases barbarians,” Polish President Donald Tusk wrote on X. “More bombs, more aggression, more victims. Another tragic night in Ukraine.”
The European Union’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, also reacted on X, stating, “Russian missiles keep relentlessly falling on Ukraine, bringing more death and more destruction.”
“Once again, Putin shows he has no interest in peace,” she added. “We must step up our military support—otherwise, even more Ukrainian civilians will pay the highest price.”
Zelenskyy, in a social media post, expressed condolences to the victims of Saturday’s attacks. “Of course, we are doing our utmost to protect lives,” he wrote.
He also thanked those who had condemned the Russian strikes, stating, “I am grateful to all the leaders, all those diplomats of our partner countries, all public figures who support Ukraine, who have condemned these Russian strikes and who call all things by their proper names.”
Zelenskyy stressed the need for continued cooperation, writing, “It is essential that we continue coordinating all our efforts with our partners to ensure that our defense works effectively and that we do everything to bring peace closer.”
Ukraine is pushing for a resumption of U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing, both of which were halted following a contentious meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House.
Trump has repeatedly and falsely portrayed Zelenskyy as an illegitimate leader and has framed Ukraine as the instigator of Russia’s war.
His rhetoric has raised concerns among Ukrainian and European leaders, who see a growing U.S. alignment with Russian narratives since Trump’s return to the White House.
In an effort to find a path toward ending the war, Ukrainian and American officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia next week. The U.S. delegation will be led by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
On Friday, Trump told reporters, “We’re doing very well with Russia,” adding that the country was “bombing the hell out of Ukraine.”
When asked whether Putin was taking advantage of the U.S. aid freeze to intensify attacks on Ukraine, Trump responded, “I actually think he’s doing what anybody else would do … I think he wants to get it stopped and settled.”
Trump also placed blame on Ukraine, stating, “I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine. And they don’t have the cards. In terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia.”
