Russia unleashes biggest drone attack of Ukraine war on eve of anniversary

Russia launched the largest drone attack against Ukraine since the start of the war, one day before the third anniversary of Moscow’s all-out invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday.

“On the eve of the third anniversary of the full-scale war, Russia launched 267 attack drones against Ukraine — the largest attack since Iranian drones began striking Ukrainian cities and villages,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. He condemned the “aerial terror” from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces.

The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that 138 drones were shot down, while another 119 disappeared from radars after being jammed by electronic warfare. Russia also launched three ballistic missiles, with damage reported in five regions, it said.

Zelenskyy said that, during the past week, Russia has sent nearly 1,150 attack drones, more than 1,400 guided aerial bombs and 35 missiles of various types against Ukraine.

In a statement Saturday evening, the Ukrainian president reiterated his call for security guarantees.

“Security guarantees are what unite the vast majority. Europe, America, and all our partners in the world need a shared understanding of how to ensure that Putin can never deceive anyone again and that Russia can no longer bring death to other nations — from Ukraine and Europe to Syria, the Middle East, and Africa,” Zelenskyy said.

“As we approach the third anniversary of the full-scale war, it is crucial for all Ukrainians to see that the world stands with us,” he added.

United States President Donald Trump has escalated his criticism of Zelenskyy in the past week, accusing him of starting the war and calling him a “dictator without elections.”

Trump’s remarks have fueled concerns among European leaders about the stability of American support for Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron and United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer are due to meet separately with Trump in Washington later this week to try to persuade him not to abandon Kyiv in the pursuit of a peace deal with Russia.