Ukraine Launches Massive Drone Barrage on Russia After Deadly Kyiv Strike

Overview

• Russia's defense ministry said its forces shot down 556 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday in one of the war's largest cross‑border strikes.
• Officials in the Moscow region reported at least three people killed and 12 injured, with more than 80 drones intercepted over the capital and debris damaging three apartment buildings.
• The drone offensive followed Russia's May 13–14 strike on Kyiv that killed at least 24 people, after which President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would hit Russian oil and military targets.
• Both sides reported large interception totals, underscoring how mass launches can overwhelm even dense air defenses by forcing radars and missile batteries to engage many targets at once.
• On Friday, a reciprocal prisoner exchange returned 205 captives to each side, yet U.S.-mediated talks remain stalled despite the limited breakthrough.