Russia carried out its third consecutive large-scale air assault on Ukraine overnight, launching a combined strike involving 364 air-delivered weapons, including cruise missiles and drones, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
In a statement released early Monday, Ukrainian defense officials confirmed that nine cruise missiles fired from strategic bombers were intercepted and 288 enemy drones were destroyed. However, five impact locations were confirmed across the country, with wreckage from downed drones falling in at least ten other areas.
The attacks, which began around midnight on May 26, follow similar waves earlier in the week. On May 24, Russia launched 14 Iskander/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 250 strike drones. Of those, six ballistic missiles and 128 drones were downed, while 117 were classified as suppressed or lost due to electronic warfare.
U.S. President Donald Trump, reacting on social media, expressed rare public condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump wrote. He added that Putin is “needlessly killing a lot of people,” citing the missile and drone attacks targeting Ukrainian cities.
The U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, also responded publicly, calling the latest strikes a “clear violation” of international law. “This is Kyiv. The indiscriminate killing of women and children at night in their homes is a clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect innocents. These attacks are shameful. Stop the killing. Ceasefire now,” Kellogg posted.
This is Kyiv. The indiscriminate killing of women and children at night in their homes is a clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect innocents. These attacks are shameful. Stop the killing. Ceasefire now. pic.twitter.com/89XRWZcP21
— Keith Kellogg (@generalkellogg) May 25, 2025
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katerina Mathernova condemned the strikes as deliberate terror against civilians. “12 killed, including kids and many dozens injured. Heroes from the State Emergency Service still looking for victims, so the numbers will go up,” she said. “Russians are relentlessly stepping up the pressure… They mock the US and mock any diplomatic attempt at peace.”
🇷🇺🇺🇦Rus balistik füzesinin Ukrayna’nın Chernigiv şehrini vurduğu görüntüler. pic.twitter.com/pKnt1B5ljd
— TRHaber Savunma (@savunma_trhaber) May 25, 2025
The targets in the latest strike included Kyiv and surrounding areas, as well as the Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Chernihiv, Sumy, Odesa, Poltava, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Cherkasy regions, according to Ukrainian authorities.