Russia Launches Largest Drone Attack of War as U.S. Pushes for Peace

Russia overnight launched the largest drone assault on Ukraine since the war began over three years ago, Ukrainian officials said Monday, prompting a sharp rebuke from U.S. President Donald Trump who declared Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone “crazy” amid failed peace efforts.

According to Yuriy Ihnat, head of the Ukrainian air force’s communications department, the bombardment Sunday night involved 355 drones. In addition to the drone offensive, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russia launched nine cruise missiles. Several civilians were injured, though no deaths were immediately confirmed.

The drone-and-missile assault came just a day after a similarly massive Russian strike on Saturday night, which Ukrainian officials described as the largest aerial attack of the conflict so far. That earlier bombardment involved 69 missiles of various types and 298 drones, resulting in at least 12 deaths and dozens of injuries across Kyiv and other regions. The figures have not been independently verified, and Russian authorities have yet to comment.

Despite repeated U.S.-backed efforts by European leaders to broker peace, no significant breakthroughs have been achieved. The latest escalation underscores the lack of progress toward a ceasefire or comprehensive resolution.

President Trump, expressing growing impatience with the conflict, criticized both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a Sunday night social media post. “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump wrote. He condemned the Russian assault, stating that “missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever” and warned that a full-scale conquest attempt would “lead to the downfall of Russia!”

Trump also directed criticism at Zelenskyy, saying the Ukrainian president is “doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does.”

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine completed the third and final phase of a significant prisoner exchange on Sunday, offering a rare moment of cooperation. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, 303 soldiers were swapped by each side, following the exchange of 307 on Saturday and 390 on Friday — the largest total prisoner swap of the war.

The exchanges were agreed upon earlier this month during talks held in Istanbul, marking the first face-to-face meeting between Kyiv and Moscow for peace discussions. The prisoner deal, involving 1,000 individuals from each side, remains the only tangible outcome from those negotiations.