Russia launched its largest drone attack against Ukraine since the beginning of the war, Ukrainian officials said Sunday, as diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict intensified ahead of a planned phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine's air force reported that Moscow deployed 273 Shahed drones in a single overnight barrage, primarily targeting the Kyiv region. The onslaught, which lasted nearly nine hours, killed a 28-year-old woman and injured three others, including a four-year-old child, according to Kyiv regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk.
"The air raid alarm lasted almost nine hours. This is what Putin's 'sincere desire for peace' looks like," wrote Ruslan Stefanchuk, head of Ukraine's parliament, on social media. Stefanchuk said the attack damaged residential buildings and ignited multiple fires. "This is terror in its purest form," he added.
The onslaught marked a sharp escalation in hostilities, just two days after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for the first direct peace talks since early 2022. Those talks, held in Turkey, failed to secure a ceasefire but did yield an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners on each side.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Rome on Sunday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside several European leaders. Zelensky said they discussed Friday's Istanbul talks, sanctions against Russia, bilateral defense ties, and the planned prisoner swap.
Zelensky also met Pope Leo XIV after the pontiff's inaugural Mass. "The authority and voice of the Holy See can play an important role in bringing this war to an end," he said, thanking the Vatican for its offer to host future negotiations.
The drone attack further destabilized Ukraine's central and eastern regions. Yuriy Ihnat, spokesman for Ukraine's air force, said 88 drones were intercepted while 128 more were likely jammed electronically. Russian strikes also hit Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Vadym Filashkin, head of Donetsk's regional military administration, said shelling killed one person and injured eight others.
Moscow's Defense Ministry said it had shot down 75 Ukrainian drones over the last 24 hours. The simultaneous surge in drone warfare from both sides highlighted the ongoing volatility despite diplomatic overtures.
The Kremlin confirmed preparations are underway for Trump and Putin to speak on Monday. Trump said he would first call Putin to "stop the bloodbath," and then follow up with Zelensky and NATO leaders. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the call but provided no details on the agenda.
Zelensky reiterated his demand for a "full and unconditional ceasefire" and condemned Russia's territorial demands in Turkey as "unacceptable." During the Istanbul talks, Russian negotiators insisted Ukraine withdraw from regions still under Kyiv's control, a position rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urged swift diplomatic movement. "My firm impression is that both the Europeans and the Americans are determined to work together, but now also in a goal-oriented manner, to ensure that this terrible war ends soon," Merz said.
