Cross-border drone attacks have resulted in civilian casualties in both Ukraine and Russia, despite a tentative agreement on a limited ceasefire. The attacks occurred overnight into Sunday, with Ukraine’s air force reporting 147 drones launched into the country. Of these, 97 were shot down, and 25 were lost in flight without causing damage.
The Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa, and Donetsk regions were affected by the drone strikes. In Kyiv, a drone attack killed at least three people, including a 5-year-old girl and her father, with at least 10 more people injured. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to seek cover while air defenses engaged a “massive” number of incoming UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported shooting down 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, with a major attack occurring in the southwestern Rostov region, which borders Ukraine. The attack set fire to a car on a highway in the Rostov region, killing one person inside the vehicle. The governor of the Astrakhan region also reported damage to a residential building caused by falling drone debris.
Despite last week’s progress toward a U.S.-brokered partial ceasefire, drone strikes have continued through the weekend. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled their support for a partial freeze on long-range strikes following talks with President Donald Trump. However, the two sides appear to have different understandings of what the ceasefire would entail.
The White House stated that the pause would cover “energy and infrastructure” targets, while the Kremlin said the agreement related to “energy infrastructure.” Zelenskyy suggested Ukraine wanted ports, railways, and “other civilian infrastructure” covered by the deal. Ukrainian and American negotiators are scheduled to meet again in Saudi Arabia to discuss the proposed ceasefire.
The situation remains volatile, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire. Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, stated that Russia does not cease fire and wants to continue killing civilians. The international community is urging both sides to uphold their commitments and work towards a peaceful resolution.
