Russia launched its most extensive drone attack on Ukraine since February 2022, deploying 267 drones across 13 regions, including Kyiv and Odesa. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 138 drones, while 119 were jammed and lost without damage; however, some areas reported attacks. President Zelenskiy condemned the attack as “aerial terror” and urged unity among Ukraine’s allies for lasting peace. In related news, U.S. President Trump engaged with Vladimir Putin, breaking from Western policy, which alarmed Ukrainian officials as they worry about potential isolation. The Kremlin welcomed the dialogue, asserting its intent to retain seized territories.
Kyiv:
Russia has launched its most extensive drone assault on Ukraine since the onset of the full-scale invasion that began on February 24, 2022. Drones were intercepted in at least 13 Ukrainian regions, including Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, and Odesa, as reported by Ukrainian authorities.
According to Yuriy Ignat, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force Command, a “record” number of 267 Russian drones were deployed in a singular, coordinated strike.
He noted that around 138 drones were intercepted, while 119 went missing after being jammed without inflicting any damage, and added that Russia also fired three ballistic missiles. Damage was recorded in five Ukrainian regions.
Ignat did not clarify the fate of the remaining 10 drones, but a separate statement from the armed forces on Telegram indicated that several regions, including Kyiv, had been “hit”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine released a video showing their air defenses successfully intercepting several drones launched by Russia.
On February 23, 2025, Russia launched 267 drones at Ukraine, marking its largest drone assault since the full-scale invasion began.
Ukrainian air defense systems managed to down 138 of these drones, with 119 imitation drones also falling out of the sky. Russia must face accountability for its actions. pic.twitter.com/jTduUrKqdt
— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) February 23, 2025
In a missile attack late Saturday, one man was killed and five others were injured in the central town of Kryvyi Rig, according to regional authorities on Sunday.
Moscow has conducted near-nightly drone strikes on Ukraine for several months, aiming to wear down air defenses. Throughout the conflict, Ukraine has attempted to disrupt Russian logistics far from the front lines, notably by targeting military bases and industrial sites within Russia itself.
Ukraine Condemns Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Sunday that Russia unleashed more than 200 drones in an overnight offensive, the largest of the war thus far. He denounced Russia’s “aerial terror” and called for solidarity among Ukraine’s allies.
“Every day, our people resist aerial terror,” he wrote on X.
“On the eve of the third anniversary of the full-scale war, Russia launched 267 attack drones against Ukraine—the largest offensive since the Iranian drones began striking our cities and villages.”
Zelenskiy highlighted that nearly 1,150 attack drones, over 1,400 guided aerial bombs, and 35 missiles of different types were launched by Russia at Ukraine within the last week.
The president expressed gratitude towards those managing Ukraine’s air defenses and urged the nation’s foreign partners to unite in pursuit of a “just and lasting peace”.
“This can be accomplished through the solidarity of all partners—we need the strength of all of Europe, the strength of America, the strength of everyone who aspires for enduring peace.”
Russia commenced its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, claiming it sought to safeguard itself against the NATO expansion threats.
US Shows Support for Moscow
US President Donald Trump diverged from Western policy earlier this month by contacting Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ways to resolve the conflict in Ukraine—an outreach hailed by Moscow as an end to three years of isolation for the Kremlin leader that began with the full-scale offensive in February 2022.
While reaching out to Moscow, Trump has also launched verbal assaults against Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, falsely asserting that Kyiv instigated the war and that Zelensky is significantly unpopular at home.
Kyiv and its European allies have reacted with alarm to Trump’s recent criticism of Zelenskiy and a meeting that took place in Riyadh between US and Russian delegations, from which Ukraine was excluded.
On Sunday, the Kremlin praised the dialogue between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin—two “extraordinary” leaders—as “promising,” asserting it would “never” yield territory seized in eastern Ukraine.
“This is a dialogue between two extraordinary presidents,” asserted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov in a state TV interview on Sunday.
“That’s promising,” he continued. “It is vital that nothing hinders the realization of the political will of the two heads of state.”
Trump’s overtures to Moscow have raised concerns in Kyiv and throughout Europe, but the potential for these actions to forge a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv remains uncertain.