KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia has launched its most extensive aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began more than three years ago, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more in an overnight barrage that struck 22 regions, including the capital Kyiv.
Among the dead were three children from the same family in Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv. Their grieving school community shared a heartfelt tribute on Facebook: “We are in pain. The whole school family… We bow our heads in sorrow.” Their parents remain hospitalized, with the mother in critical condition, authorities confirmed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the global community, especially the United States, for its muted response to the growing violence. “America’s silence, and the silence of others in the world, only encourages Putin,” he said in a strongly worded statement on Telegram.
Zelensky’s frustration follows Russia’s second consecutive night of airstrikes, launching an unprecedented 367 aerial weapons — 69 missiles and 298 drones — according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Despite intercepting most of them, the scale and intensity overwhelmed defense systems and left widespread destruction.
In Kyiv, residents were forced into bomb shelters as air raid sirens pierced the night. Fires broke out in civilian neighborhoods, with emergency crews scrambling to control the damage.
This assault comes just a week after what was previously the most intense attack, when Russia launched 273 drones in a single night. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described Sunday’s events as “the most massive Russian air attack in many weeks.”
While Ukraine continues to count the cost, a rare moment of diplomacy occurred over the weekend: a large-scale prisoner swap between the warring nations. Over 600 Russian and Ukrainian prisoners were released Sunday, completing the final phase of a 1,000-for-1,000 exchange negotiated during recent talks in Istanbul.
Videos shared by President Zelensky and Ukrainian officials showed freed Ukrainian soldiers wrapped in national flags, some calling loved ones, others savoring their first chocolate in months.
But even this symbolic progress was quickly overshadowed by the violence.
The U.S. has yet to announce any new sanctions in response to the fresh wave of attacks. Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, former National Security Advisor to Vice President Mike Pence and now Trump’s special envoy for Russia-Ukraine affairs, called the bombardment “a clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols.”
“Stop the killing. Ceasefire now,” Kellogg posted on X.
Meanwhile, Russia claims it too was targeted. The Kremlin’s defense ministry said it intercepted around 100 Ukrainian drones, with many aimed at Moscow, Tver, and other regions.
Zelensky insists only a strong international response can halt what he described as “daily terror.” He renewed calls for harsher sanctions, stressing that without “really strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped.”
