Amid Ongoing Peace Talks, Russia Launches Massive Missile and Drone Barrage on Ukraine

In a dramatic escalation coinciding with Ukraine’s Armed Forces Day, Russia launched one of its largest overnight assaults in recent months, firing 51 missiles and deploying 653 drones across multiple regions, Ukrainian officials reported on Saturday. Despite the intensity of the barrage, Ukraine’s air force stated that its defenses intercepted 585 drones and 30 missiles, although 29 locations were still impacted.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that at least eight people were injured nationwide in the attacks. Local authorities in the Kyiv region reported three of those injuries, while drones were tracked as far west as the Lviv oblast, highlighting the expansive reach of the assault.

Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo, said the strikes were heavily focused on power plants and critical energy infrastructure—marking yet another attempt by Russia to destabilize the country’s electricity grid as winter intensifies.

One of the most concerning incidents occurred at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the facility briefly lost all off-site power during the attacks. Though reactors are currently offline, the plant still relies on stable electricity to cool nuclear fuel and prevent a major radiological disaster.

Ukrainian President volodymyr zelenskyy confirmed that a drone strike had destroyed the railway station in Fastiv, near Kyiv, and emphasized that Russia deliberately targeted sites crucial to Ukraine’s energy and transportation networks.

Meanwhile, Russia claimed it had shot down 116 Ukrainian drones over the same period. Both Ukraine’s military and Russian regional authorities acknowledged that Ukrainian forces attacked the Ryazan Oil Refinery in Russia, though Moscow did not formally confirm whether the facility sustained damage.

Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone operations in recent months, aiming to disrupt Russia’s oil revenue—an essential source of funding for Moscow’s war effort. Kyiv and its Western allies have repeatedly accused Russia of “weaponizing winter” by systematically attacking Ukraine’s electricity, water, and heating infrastructure for the fourth year in a row.

The latest escalation came as Ukrainian representatives continued discussions in Florida with advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump regarding a potential post-war security framework. Zelenskyy said he had received updates from the talks and reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to “genuinely achieving peace.”

However, both Ukrainian negotiators and American officials acknowledged that meaningful progress hinges on Russia’s “serious commitment to long-term peace.” Zelenskyy is set to meet leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany in London on Monday as diplomatic efforts intensify.