In a dramatic escalation overnight, Russia launched 149 drones against Ukraine, marking one of the largest aerial barrages in recent months. The attack unfolded in the early hours of Sunday, just hours after former U.S. President Donald Trump met briefly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the funeral ceremonies for Pope Francis at the Vatican yesterday.
According to Ukrainian defense officials, the wave of Iranian-made Shahed drones targeted several regions across the country, including Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Zhytomyr, and Kherson. Ukrainian air defenses responded vigorously, reportedly intercepting 57 drones and jamming an additional 67, limiting the overall damage. However, despite these defensive efforts, at least four civilians were killed, and dozens more were injured, with extensive property damage reported in key urban centers.
The cities of Kostyantynivka and Pavlohrad suffered particularly heavy strikes. In Kostyantynivka, three apartment buildings and a school were severely damaged, while Pavlohrad, a major industrial hub, reported critical hits to its energy infrastructure, threatening to disrupt power supplies for thousands of residents. Emergency services have been working around the clock to rescue trapped civilians and restore basic utilities.
The timing of the attack is notable, occurring shortly after Trump and Zelenskyy’s rare meeting at the Vatican. Their brief discussion, their first since a highly publicized and contentious Oval Office encounter years earlier, came against a somber backdrop of global mourning for Pope Francis.
Sources close to the meeting revealed that Trump expressed "skepticism" about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s commitment to peace, contradicting earlier statements where he had suggested that Russia and Ukraine were nearing a settlement. Trump reportedly warned that Putin's continued aggression, as evidenced by the deadly drone strikes, undermines any narrative of imminent peace and hinted that, if re-elected, he would consider new sanctions against Moscow.
During his remarks to reporters outside the Vatican, Trump criticized the Kremlin’s strategy of targeting civilians and infrastructure, calling it “barbaric” and “incompatible with any serious peace efforts.” He also defended recent U.S. proposals for peace, which have been met with controversy in Ukraine and among European allies for being seen as too accommodating to Russian interests, particularly concerning the status of Crimea. Trump insisted that any peace plan must be predicated on a verifiable ceasefire, something Russia has refused to agree to thus far.
For his part, Zelenskyy welcomed the meeting as a “small but important step” in ensuring continued U.S. support for Ukraine. He stressed that Ukraine would not accept any peace deal that compromised its territorial integrity, including Crimea and the Donbas region, and he called for increased military and humanitarian aid to help Ukraine withstand further Russian aggression.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the war continue behind the scenes. Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been engaged in delicate negotiations with Russian officials, but progress remains elusive. The latest drone assault underscores the massive gulf between diplomatic rhetoric and realities on the ground.
The strikes and the subsequent political fallout highlight the persistent volatility of the situation in Ukraine. Despite high-profile meetings and symbolic gestures, the path to peace remains fraught with immense challenges. Russia’s overnight assault sends a clear message: the war is far from over, and the international community must remain vigilant and committed to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty.
As Ukraine assesses the damage and mourns the victims of the latest attack, its leaders brace for the difficult battles—both on the field and at the negotiating table—that lie ahead.
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