Ukraine Under Fire: Russia Launches Most Massive Aerial Assault Of The War As Zelensky Slams U.S. Silence

Russia unleashed its most extensive aerial assault of the three-year war on Ukraine overnight, targeting the capital Kyiv and multiple regions with a barrage of missiles and drones for the second night in a row. The escalation prompted a sharp rebuke from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who criticized the United States for its continued “silence.”

At least 12 people, including children, were killed in the attacks, and dozens more were injured, Ukrainian officials confirmed.

Among the dead were three children from the same family in the Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv. Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Minister, Ihor Klymenko, said their parents were hospitalized, with the mother in serious condition. The children’s school expressed its grief on Facebook, writing, “We are in pain. The whole school family… We bow our heads in sorrow.”

This surge in attacks comes as international pressure grows on Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept a ceasefire. Yet, Moscow appears to be intensifying its bombardment.

“Each of these terrorist strikes is reason enough for new sanctions against Russia. They are dragging out this war and killing every day,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram Sunday morning. “The world may go on vacation, but the war continues — weekdays, weekends, it makes no difference. This silence from America and others only encourages Putin.”

Later that day, former U.S. President Donald Trump voiced frustration over the escalation. “We’re in the middle of talks, and he’s launching rockets into Kyiv and other cities,” he said while speaking to reporters en route to Washington, D.C. “He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin. I’ve known him a long time. Always got along with him — but this? I don’t like it at all.”

However, Trump also took aim at Zelensky, posting on Truth Social that the Ukrainian leader was “doing his country no favors by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems. I don’t like it — and it better stop.”

Trump’s Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, condemned Russia’s overnight attacks, calling them a “clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect civilians.”

Deadliest Barrage Amid Prisoner Exchange

The assault unfolded just as Russia and Ukraine completed the largest prisoner exchange of the war — a 1,000-for-1,000 swap — following talks in Istanbul. Despite this rare moment of cooperation, the conflict remains far from resolution.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 367 aerial weapons overnight — including 69 missiles and 298 drones — across 22 locations. Ukrainian defenses intercepted 47 missiles and 266 drones, officials said.

Just a week ago, Russia had set a previous record by launching 273 drones in a single night.

“It was a difficult Sunday morning in Ukraine after a sleepless night,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted on X. “This was the most massive Russian air attack in many weeks.”

In Kyiv, air raid sirens wailed for hours, and officials urged residents to seek shelter as waves of drones and missiles struck the city. Civilian buildings in several districts were damaged.

This devastating night came only a day after another wave of Russian attacks killed at least 13 people.

Glimmers of Hope Amid Carnage

Despite the bloodshed, the prisoner swap offered a brief glimpse of relief. Over 600 prisoners were exchanged on Sunday, completing the final phase of the agreement struck during the Istanbul meeting.

Russia’s defense ministry confirmed that 303 Russian servicemen were swapped for an equal number of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Videos shared by Ukrainian officials showed jubilant moments — Ukrainian men with shaved heads calling loved ones, draped in national flags, and others sharing chocolate.

More than 600 were released on Saturday and nearly 800 on Friday, marking the largest exchange of the war.

Zelensky thanked his team for working “around the clock” to make the exchange possible.

The Istanbul meeting, proposed by Putin, came in response to a ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum from European allies of Kyiv — a move many saw as a stalling tactic by the Kremlin.

Since then, however, Russia has only intensified its airstrikes.

“Without truly strong pressure on Russian leadership, this brutality will not end,” Zelensky said Sunday, once again urging the U.S. and Europe to impose fresh sanctions.

Trump, however, expressed reluctance, saying he wouldn’t support new sanctions unless absolutely necessary. “There’s still a chance for progress,” he said, adding that sanctions could be reconsidered depending on how things develop.

Ukraine Strikes Back

Meanwhile, Russia reported it had come under drone attack by Ukrainian forces on Sunday. The Russian defense ministry claimed to have intercepted or destroyed nearly 100 attack drones, mostly over central and southern regions. Thirteen drones were downed over the Moscow and Tver regions alone, officials said.

A day earlier, Russia reported intercepting 94 Ukrainian UAVs, primarily over Belgorod and Bryansk regions, with others shot down over Kursk, Lipetsk, Voronezh, and Tula. Tula’s governor, Dmitry Miliaev, confirmed that three people were injured, two of whom were hospitalized.