At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes across multiple Ukrainian cities, according to regional officials and Ukraine’s state emergency services. Dozens more have been injured, with residential areas left in ruins following one of the deadliest overnight attacks in recent weeks.
The latest strikes come just 24 hours after Kyiv endured one of the heaviest aerial bombardments since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022. Sunday’s attacks coincided with Kyiv Day, an annual holiday in the capital, forcing residents to seek refuge in underground metro stations as missiles and drones rained down.
In Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv, emergency services confirmed the deaths of three children aged eight, 12, and 17. Ten others were injured as private homes were “destroyed and damaged.” In the southern city of Mykolaiv, the body of a man in his 70s was pulled from the rubble of a five-story residential building hit by a drone. Five more people were injured in the same incident.
Kyiv and Regional Authorities Report Heavy Civilian Casualties
Kyiv’s regional head, Mykola Kalashnyk, confirmed three deaths and 10 injuries from the attacks, posting images on social media that showed homes engulfed in flames and severely damaged by falling debris. The city of Kyiv itself reported 11 injuries and significant property damage, including multiple residential buildings and a dormitory.
In a statement on Facebook, Khmelnytskyi regional governor Serhiy Tyurin said four people were killed and another five were injured. “Six private houses were destroyed, and another 20 damaged,” he wrote, painting a grim picture of the destruction. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (DSNS) later updated the toll, stating four people were killed and 16 injured in Khmelnytskyi alone, including three children.
In Kharkiv, officials reported at least three injuries, as Russia intensified its multi-pronged air campaign aimed at destabilizing Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Russia Claims Major Drone Defense Success Across Its Territory
Meanwhile, Russia reported intercepting a record number of Ukrainian drones in a sweeping overnight barrage that targeted eight of its regions. According to the Russian defense ministry, air defense units shot down or intercepted 95 Ukrainian drones between 8:00 p.m. and midnight on Saturday.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that 12 drones aimed at the capital were neutralized, and emergency crews were dispatched to assess damage caused by debris. In the Tula region, just south of Moscow, wreckage from one drone crashed into a residential courtyard, shattering windows but causing no casualties.
Russia’s swift air defense response resulted in a temporary suspension of all flights at Moscow’s airports. While no injuries were reported, the widespread drone activity underscores how Ukraine has intensified its long-range retaliatory tactics amid ongoing territorial losses.
Prisoner Swaps Signal Fragile Diplomatic Progress
Despite the escalating violence, Russia and Ukraine have engaged in significant prisoner exchanges over the weekend, pointing to rare moments of diplomacy amid ongoing conflict. On Friday, both sides handed over 390 soldiers and civilians each—the largest such swap since the war began.
By Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that an additional 307 Ukrainian prisoners had returned home as part of a continued deal with Moscow. The agreements stem from high-level talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations held in Turkey, marking the first direct negotiations in over three years.
Sources say both countries have agreed to exchange a total of 1,000 prisoners each, with another swap expected on Sunday. These moves suggest that while battlefield tensions remain high, channels of communication for humanitarian agreements remain open.
Ceasefire Talks Remain Tentative as Global Leaders Weigh In
In a surprising diplomatic development, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly held a two-hour phone call earlier this week to discuss a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal for Ukraine. Trump, who is actively campaigning for re-election, described the conversation as going “very well” and expressed optimism that negotiations to end the war could begin “immediately.”
However, the Kremlin’s response has been more cautious. President Putin stated that Russia would work with Ukraine to draft a “memorandum” on a “possible future peace,” but has so far resisted accepting a proposed 30-day ceasefire.
As both sides continue to launch deadly attacks and retaliate with increasing intensity, hopes for a sustainable truce remain fragile. Meanwhile, the civilian toll continues to mount, with millions of Ukrainians caught between escalating violence and tentative diplomacy.
