A huge wave of drone and missile attacks from Russia hit cities across Ukraine this past weekend, causing a lot of damage and sadly, killing at least 12 people and injuring many more. Ukrainian officials said this was the biggest air attack since Russia’s full-scale invasion started in February 2022.
The attacks happened even as Russia and Ukraine were in the middle of a major prisoner exchange, a rare moment where the two sides cooperated after more than three years of war.
What Happened?
On Saturday, Russia launched at least 367 missiles and drones across Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia used 69 different types of missiles and 298 drones, including some called Iranian-designed Shahed drones. The capital city of Kyiv and other areas were targeted for a second night in a row. On Sunday night into Monday morning, cross-border drone attacks continued between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia launched a total of 364 “air attack vehicles,” which included nine cruise missiles and 355 attack drones, and that all missiles and 288 drones were shot down or neutralized. Impacts were reported in five regions, and falling debris in 10 regions.
In Kyiv, explosions were heard throughout the night as Ukraine’s air defenses tried to shoot down the incoming drones and missiles. At least four people were killed and 16 were injured in Kyiv alone. Fires broke out in homes and businesses because of falling drone parts.
Other regions were also hit hard:
- In the Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, three children aged 8, 12, and 17 were killed, and 12 people were injured.
- The Khmelnytskyi region in western Ukraine saw at least four deaths.
- One person was killed in the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian missiles and drones hit more than 30 cities and villages. He said these were “deliberate strikes on ordinary cities” and that regular homes were destroyed. He also asked Western countries to put more pressure on Russia with sanctions, which are like punishments. Zelenskyy stressed that “only through force — the force of the United States, the force of Europe, the force of all nations that respect life can we achieve a complete cessation of these attacks and real peace”.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 110 Ukrainian drones during the night of the attacks. They also claimed to have downed 128 Ukrainian drones over 12 regions overnight into Monday morning. Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council’s Counter-Disinformation Center, stated that “unknown drones” attacked a facility producing Iranian-designed Shahed strike drones in Yelabuga, Russia, and a chemical enterprise in the Ivanovo region that creates components for Russian equipment and weapons.
The Prisoner Swap
Despite the attacks, Russia and Ukraine continued their prisoner exchange. This was the third and final part of a big exchange, which was the biggest total swap of the war. On Sunday, they swapped hundreds more prisoners. Earlier, on Saturday, each side exchanged 307 soldiers and civilians, and on Friday, 390 were exchanged. Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy confirmed that 303 Ukrainian defenders, including members of the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, and State Special Transport Service, returned home on Sunday.
Nataliya Borovyk, whose brother Ihor Ulesov was released, shared how happy and relieved her family was to have him back. This exchange was the only good thing that came out of peace talks held in Istanbul earlier this month.
Reactions to the Attacks
President Donald Trump spoke about the attacks, saying he was “not happy” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said Putin was “absolutely CRAZY!” for killing many people by firing missiles and drones into Ukrainian cities “for no reason whatsoever”. However, Trump also expressed frustration with President Zelenskyy, saying that Zelenskyy is “doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does” and that “everything out of his mouth causes problems”. Trump also suggested that Putin wants “ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it,” and if that happens, “it will lead to the downfall of Russia!”.
The Kremlin, Russia’s government, said Trump’s comments might be due to “emotional overload”. They also thanked Trump for trying to help with peace talks, stating they are “really grateful to the Americans and personally to President Trump for his assistance in organizing and launching this negotiation process”.
Even with the prisoner exchanges, the fighting has not stopped. Battles are still happening along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, and both countries continue to launch attacks. Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly asked Trump to impose new, tougher sanctions on Moscow to get them to change their war goals. Ukraine is pushing for a 30-day ceasefire to allow for peace talks, but Russia has so far refused this proposal. Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskyy’s presidential office, stated that “Russia should speed up the ceasefire, now Moscow is slowing down even with the discussion of proposals, no specifics, only delaying time”. Zelenskyy again urged increased sanctions and a blockade of Russian finances and oil trade, stating that Russia must end the war by being deprived of resources.
This article is based on the following articles:
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/25/g-s1-68868/russia-ukraine-drone-missile-attack
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-dbefc3d0a83826c865908aa29dd40f93
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/26/nx-s1-5412389/trump-putin-absolutely-crazy
Background Information
About Ukraine and Russia:
- Where are they? Ukraine and Russia are two very large countries in Eastern Europe. They share a border. You can find them on a world map.
- What’s the history? These two countries have a long and complicated history together. They were both part of a larger country called the Soviet Union for a long time. When the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, Ukraine became an independent country.
- Why are they fighting? The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine started in 2014. It escalated in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia wants to stop Ukraine from becoming closer with Western countries and organizations like NATO (more on that below). Ukraine, on the other hand, wants to be an independent country and choose its own alliances.
- What is a “full-scale invasion”? This means that Russia sent its military forces into Ukraine on a very large scale, not just in small areas.
Military Terms:
- Drones: Think of drones as small, unmanned aircraft. They can be used for many things, like taking pictures or delivering packages. In war, they are often used for spying or for carrying bombs and missiles.
- Missiles: These are rockets that carry explosives. They can be launched from far away and hit targets with great force.
- Air defenses: This refers to systems that countries use to protect themselves from attacks from the air, like incoming drones and missiles. They try to shoot down or stop these threats before they hit their targets.
- Front line: In a war, the front line is the area where the two opposing armies are actively fighting each other. It’s often a long, dangerous border.
- POW swap / Prisoner exchange: POW stands for “Prisoner of War.” A prisoner exchange is when opposing sides in a conflict agree to trade captured soldiers. It’s a way for soldiers to return home to their families.
- Ceasefire: This is a temporary stop to fighting, agreed upon by all sides in a conflict. It’s often hoped that a ceasefire can lead to talks and eventually a more permanent peace.
Political and Diplomatic Terms:
- Sanctions: These are punishments put on a country, usually by other countries, to try and get them to change their actions. Sanctions can involve things like stopping trade, freezing money, or limiting travel.
- Kremlin: This is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. It’s the official residence of the Russian President and the main seat of the Russian government. So, when you hear “Kremlin says,” it means the Russian government is speaking.
- NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): This is a military alliance of countries in North America and Europe. If one NATO country is attacked, the other NATO countries agree to help defend it. Ukraine wants to join NATO, but Russia sees this as a threat.
- Peace talks: These are meetings between people from countries that are fighting, where they try to find ways to stop the conflict and agree on a peaceful solution.
- Diplomacy: This is the practice of countries talking to each other and trying to resolve problems peacefully, without fighting.
- Maximalist war goals: This refers to a country’s biggest or most ambitious aims in a war. For example, Russia’s maximalist war goals might include taking control of certain Ukrainian territories or preventing Ukraine from joining certain alliances.
- Annexation: This is when one country takes control of another country’s territory, making it part of their own.
Key Figures:
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy: He is the current President of Ukraine.
- Vladimir Putin: He is the current President of Russia.
- Donald Trump: He is a former President of the United States.
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