Russia launches nearly 150 drones against Ukraine Overnight into Sunday

Photo Distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service

Russia launched a large-scale drone assault across Ukraine overnight into Sunday, striking multiple regions amid renewed skepticism from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war. Ukrainian officials reported that the attacks resulted in several casualties and widespread damage.

In the city of Pavlohrad, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, one person was killed and a 14-year-old girl was wounded. This marked the third consecutive night the region was targeted, according to regional governor Serhii Lysak. Additional attacks were recorded across other parts of Ukraine, adding to an already volatile situation.

The drone strikes came just hours after Russia claimed to have retaken full control over the Kursk region, an area partially seized by Ukrainian forces during a surprise offensive last August. Ukrainian authorities, however, stated that heavy fighting in Kursk was still ongoing.

President Trump, speaking Saturday, expressed doubt over Putin’s commitment to a peace settlement, casting new uncertainty over diplomatic efforts. Only a day earlier, Trump had suggested that Ukraine and Russia were "very close to a deal." During his return flight from Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican, where he met briefly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump wrote in a social media post that Putin’s continued attacks on civilian areas raised doubts about his intentions. Trump also hinted at the possibility of implementing additional sanctions against Russia. The brief conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy marked their first in-person meeting since a contentious Oval Office encounter earlier this year.

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia fired a total of 149 drones and decoy devices in the latest assault. Ukrainian defenses intercepted 57 drones and successfully jammed an additional 67. The attacks led to further casualties, with one person wounded in drone strikes on the Odesa region and another in the city of Zhytomyr. In Kherson, four people were injured following a Russian airstrike on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that its air defenses had downed five Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk border region and three drones over Crimea, the peninsula Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

In the Donetsk region, five people were reported wounded after Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Horlivka, according to Ivan Prikhodko, the Russian-installed mayor of the city.