Russia, Ukraine exchange drone attacks after Trump rebukes leaders

Hundreds of drones and missiles were launched, officials said

Russia launches large-scale assault on Ukraine President Zelenskyy denounces what he calls U.S. silence as Russia launches a large-scale assault on Ukraine w...Show more

LONDON -- Russia and Ukraine continued long-range cross-border drone attacks on Sunday night into Monday morning, despite President Donald Trump's criticism of presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy -- the latest signal of Trump's frustration at his inability to bring Moscow's 3-year-old invasion of its neighbor to a close.

Ukrainian officials said air defenses engaged targets across the country, including in the capital Kyiv where damage was reported to buildings.

Ukraine's air force said Russia launched a total of 364 "air attack vehicles" -- nine cruise missiles and 355 attack drones -- in the latest bombardment. All missiles and 288 drones were shot down or neutralized in flight, the air force said. Impacts were reported in five regions and falling debris in 10 regions, the air force said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram that Russian forces "used the largest number of drones against our cities and communities since the beginning of the full-scale war."

"Only a sense of complete impunity can allow Russia to carry out such strikes and constantly increase their scale," Zelenskyy said. "Like any criminal, Russia can only be brought to justice by force. 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."

This combination of pictures created on May 25, 2025 shows Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images

Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces downed 128 Ukrainian drones over 12 regions overnight and into Monday morning.

Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Counter-Disinformation Center operating as part of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said "unknown drones" attacked the city of Yelabuga in Russia's Tatarstan Republic -- more than 500 miles east of Moscow and some 740 miles from the closest Ukrainian-controlled territory.

The target was a facility producing Russia's Iranian-designed Shahed strike drones, Kovalenko said.

Other drones attacked "a chemical enterprise" in the Ivanovo region, around 150 miles northeast of Moscow, he added. The facility "creates components for Russian equipment and weapons, including missiles," Kovalenko said.

Near-nightly cross-border strikes have become a prominent feature of Russia's war on Ukraine, now more than three years old with little sign of an imminent ceasefire or peace deal. Recent months have seen the bombardments grow in size.

On Saturday night into Sunday, for example, Russia launched what Ukrainian officials described as its largest aerial attack of the war. The assault included 367 drones and missiles and killed at least 18 people, officials said.

MORE: Russia hits Ukraine with massive drone, missile barrage amid prisoner exchange

The attack prompted Trump to rebuke Putin while speaking with reporters and later on social media.

"I'm not happy with what Putin is doing," the president said. "He's killing a lot of people, and I don't know what the hell happened to Putin. I've known him a long time. Always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don't like it at all."

Trump reiterated his close relationship with Putin but suggested that "something has happened" which has made him "crazy."

"I've always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that's proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump also attacked Zelenskyy, who he has repeatedly framed as an impediment to a U.S.-brokered peace deal. "Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does," Trump wrote.

"Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop," Trump continued.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia is "really grateful to the Americans and personally to President Trump for his assistance in organizing and launching this negotiation process. This is a very important achievement."

"President Putin makes the decisions that are necessary to ensure the security of our country," Peskov said, adding that the Kremlin is "closely monitoring" any "emotional overload" and "emotional reactions" connected to the peace process.

Explosions are seen in the night sky as Ukrainian servicemen fire towards drones during a Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 26, 2025.

Gleb Garanich/Reuters

Zelenskyy and his officials have cited Russia's continued massed strikes as evidence that Moscow is not genuine in its public appeals for peace.

Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly appealed to Trump to impose new, tougher sanctions on Moscow to push the Kremlin to downgrade its maximalist war goals. Those include the annexation of swaths of Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian demilitarization and a permanent block on the country's accession to NATO.

Ukrainian requests have so far gone unanswered, despite Trump's threats to introduce new measures to press Putin into negotiations. Kyiv is pushing for a 30-day ceasefire during which time peace talks can take place. Russia has so far refused the proposal.

Following the latest round of Russian strikes, Andriy Yermak -- the head of Zelenskyy's presidential office -- wrote on Telegram on Monday morning, "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 sanctions. "The increase in Russian attacks should be met with increased sanctions," he wrote on Telegram on Monday. "Russia's disregard for diplomacy and refusal to even accept a ceasefire should be met with a blockade of Russian finances and trade in Russian oil."

"Thank you to everyone in the world who is pushing this very strong agenda," the president added. "Russia must end this war of its own. And for that to happen, we must deprive their will to fight of resources."