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Russia has again launched a record-breaking wave of drones and missiles into Ukraine despite criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin from President Trump.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, a potential ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine seems very unlikely as recent diplomatic efforts appear to be unraveling. The latest round of peace talks, held in Turkey, involved delegations from both countries but notably excluded President Putin, an absence many interpret as a sign of the talks’ limited seriousness and diminishing prospects. Analysts and Western officials increasingly believe that Putin has little interest in ending the war, instead viewing the current battlefield momentum as an opportunity to seize more Ukrainian territory and consolidate control. While Ukraine has accepted a proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire backed by the US, Russia has rejected the offer outright and continues its escalating air campaign. European Union leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have urged the US to take a harder line against Russia, warning that the Kremlin’s ongoing aggression and disregard for negotiations make meaningful progress toward peace increasingly implausible.
What’s going on now: According to Ukrainian officials, Russia launched its largest drone attack of the war overnight Sunday into Monday, unleashing a barrage of 355 Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones and nine cruise missiles across multiple regions of Ukraine. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that air defenses successfully neutralized 288 of the drones and intercepted all incoming missiles, but damage and debris were reported in at least 10 regions. A 14-year-old boy was injured in the Odesa region, and several residential buildings and industrial sites were damaged across western and central Ukraine. The Ukrainian military described the attack as part of a sustained three-day aerial campaign during which nearly 900 drones were fired at Ukrainian targets, signaling a sharp escalation in Russia’s air war.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for the strikes, stating that they were retaliatory measures in response to what it described as “Ukrainian terrorist drone attacks” inside Russian territory. Moscow reported intercepting over 100 Ukrainian drones overnight and accused Ukraine of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a drone production facility in Tatarstan and a chemical plant in the Ivanovo region—both hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border. The Kremlin maintains that its drone and missile strikes are directed at military targets, specifically citing an airbase in the Khmelnytskyi region as a primary objective.
Despite this, Ukrainian officials have rejected these claims, arguing that Russia’s strikes consistently impact civilian areas and infrastructure, stressing what President Zelenskyy called a “complete sense of impunity” on Russia’s part.
This all comes as President Trump criticized President Putin, calling him “absolutely crazy” for escalating attacks that are “needlessly killing a lot of people.” In comments to reporters and posts on social media, Trump said he no longer understands Putin’s actions and warned that the Russian leader’s current strategy could lead to the “downfall of Russia.” While expressing personal disapproval of the strikes, Trump has so far stopped short of announcing new sanctions, prompting renewed calls from European allies for Washington to increase pressure on the Kremlin.
