Ukraine repels major Russian drone assault, strikes back amid escalating air war

Ukraine’s Air Force successfully fended off a massive overnight air attack by Russia, shooting down 58 of 67 long-range drones, officials said on Saturday. The large-scale assault, which targeted multiple regions, marks one of the most intense drone strikes by Moscow in recent weeks.

Debris from a downed drone was found near the Ukrainian parliament building in Kyiv, underscoring the reach of the assault. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, confirmed the discovery in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Air defense units were deployed across 11 regions of Ukraine to counter the swarm of Shahed drones, which were launched from two Russian border regions and the occupied Crimean Peninsula, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. While no casualties were immediately reported, the attack heightened tensions amid an ongoing wave of Russian bombardments.

The Associated Press and Reuters captured images of drone debris scattered outside Ukraine’s parliament building, highlighting the growing danger even in the heart of Kyiv. This latest assault follows a deadly week for Ukraine, where long-range Russian missile strikes have taken a heavy toll, including an attack in Poltava that left 55 dead and 328 wounded. A strike in Lviv earlier in the week killed seven people, including a mother and her three daughters, in one of the deadliest single incidents near the NATO-member Poland border.

Ukraine has not remained idle, with its forces launching counterstrikes on Russian soil. In the Voronezh region, near the Ukrainian border, a drone attack ignited a fire and caused explosions, according to Russian Governor Aleksandr Gusev. Several villages in the region were evacuated, and Gusev urged residents to refrain from sharing images of the incident that could be geolocated by Ukrainian forces.

As the conflict intensifies, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that its troops had seized control of the village of Kalynove, southeast of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Meanwhile, Russian artillery strikes in Kostiantynivka killed three people and wounded three more, according to Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to call on international allies for support in conducting long-range strikes against Russian military airfields, including requesting access to U.S. long-range weapons capable of striking deep into Russian territory.

On Saturday, Zelenskyy met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the Ambrosetti Forum in northern Italy to discuss his peace plan and Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts, particularly focused on the country’s energy infrastructure. The meeting took place amid Zelenskyy’s rejection of calls for a ceasefire from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly violated past agreements.

With no signs of de-escalation, Ukraine’s defense efforts remain on high alert as it braces for more long-range attacks from Russia, while simultaneously pushing for greater international support to strike back at the heart of Russian military capabilities.