Ukraine-Russia war live: Moscow launches largest drone attack of three-year conflict

Vladimir Putin’s troops have launched their largest drone attack of the nearly three-year-long war, according to Kyiv’s air force.

Russian forces fired 267 drones at Ukraine in an overnight attack, striking five regions of Ukraine, Kyiv said.

Around 138 of the drones were downed and another 119 were jammed by electronic warfare, the air force said.

The largest drone strike reported before this was in November 2024, when 188 drones were fired at Ukrainian towns and cities.

Russia’s defence ministry said its air defence units had intercepted and destroyed 20 Ukrainian drones overnight over six regions of the country.

Britain will hit Russia with new sanctions to mark the third anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine amid a growing rift between the US and Europe in support for Volodymyr Zelensky.

Sir Keir Starmer is planning a “triple whammy” of measures to support Kyiv, including the fresh sanctions as well as military aid and a crackdown on Russian dirty money in the UK.

In a bid to “turn the screws” on Putin’s regime, David Lammy said he would on Monday announce the biggest package of measures since the early days of the conflict.

Yulia Checheta was at her elderly mother’s house when she popped out to check on her shop. Moments later she had a call to say the family’s home had been hit by two Russian missiles.

Her brother Volodymyr Radko and his 13-year-old son Mykola had been playing on the swings in the garden when the bombs hit. They died instantly, buried beneath the rubble. It would be months before their remains could be identified.

Yulia’s 74-year-old mother, Nina, somehow survived, but she was hospitalised for several weeks with severe bruising to her neck and face.

The UK will unveil a significant package of sanctions against Russia tomorrow on the third anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the British foreign secretary said.

“This is also the time to turn the screws on (Vladimir) Putin’s Russia,” David Lammy said in a statement. “Tomorrow, I plan to announce the largest package of sanctions against Russia since the early days of the war – eroding their military machine and reducing revenues fuelling the fires of destruction in Ukraine,” he added.

Mr Lammy said the UK would continue to work with US and European partners to achieve “sustainable, just peace”, but stressed that Ukraine must be involved. The US has started negotiations on ending the conflict with Russia, but excluded Kyiv from the talks.

A second meeting between representatives of Russia and the United States is planned for the next two weeks, the RIA state news agency reported on Saturday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Moscow and Washington held their first talks on ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine on Tuesday, aimed at restoring relations and preparing to conclude the conflict.

The meeting will take place in a third country and the specific location is being agreed upon, Ryabkov told RIA in an interview, without naming who would attend from the Russian or American sides.

Ryabkov said there was “principled agreement” on both sides to hold consultations to work out “the entire block of so-called irritants.”

Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday praised the British prime minister for showing “leadership” in the war with Russia after Sir Keir Starmer pledged his “ironclad support” for Kyiv.

In a call with the Ukrainian president yesterday, the British prime minister said he would be “progressing important discussions” about Kyiv’s security on his visit to Washington.

Mr Zelensky said in his evening address: “We have coordinated our positions and our diplomacy. We appreciate that the UK is committed to maintaining leadership in protecting life and just normalcy.”

‘British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised president Volodymyr Zelensky he will make the case for safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty in talks with Donald Trump this week.

In a call with the Ukrainian president yesterday, Sir Keir said he would be “progressing important discussions” about Kyiv’s security on his visit to Washington, Downing Street said.

Sir Keir’s meeting with Mr Trump will be a critical moment in his leadership amid fragile relations between America and Europe after the US leader launched an extraordinary verbal attack on Mr Zelensky last week.

The US president called Ukraine’s leader a “dictator” on Wednesday and later said the British prime minister and French president Emmanuel Macron, both of whom will visit the White House this week, “haven’t done anything” to end the war.