Russia Escalates Drone Warfare in Ukraine, Dismissing Ceasefire Appeal

Russia conducted numerous drone assaults across Ukraine overnight, as reported by the Ukrainian Air Force early Monday, effectively ignoring Kyiv’s appeal for a 30-day ceasefire to facilitate peace negotiations.

Ukrainian military sources indicated that Russian troops initiated the launch of Iranian-made Shahed drones at around 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, deploying a total of 108 drones across various regions. The Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have intercepted over half of these drones.

“In addition, 30 enemy decoy drones were rendered ineffective due to location issues, without causing adverse effects,” stated the air force in an announcement.

Ukrainian officials reported that the strikes inflicted damage in the regions of Odesa, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, and Zhytomyr, with emergency services confirming that at least 22 individuals were injured due to Russian attacks in the past 24 hours.

Over the weekend, Ukraine and its European partners urged Moscow to accept a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday, warning of further sanctions should Russia fail to comply. This demand came after the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, and Poland visited Kyiv for discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington’s call for an immediate ceasefire during a Sunday conversation with U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

“Our primary focus continues to be on ending the hostilities and achieving an immediate ceasefire,” a State Department summary of the call stated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, seemed to dismiss the concept of a comprehensive ceasefire early Sunday by proposing direct discussions with Ukraine in Istanbul this week, an apparent strategy to take the initiative in light of increasing Western pressure. In these talks, Putin suggested a potential agreement for a pause in hostilities.

Zelensky responded by inviting Putin to meet him in person in Istanbul on the suggested date, May 15. An unnamed Ukrainian official informed Axios that Zelensky intends to head to Turkey regardless of Moscow’s position on the proposed ceasefire.

According to Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, this week’s direct negotiations would build upon the preliminary Istanbul discussions held shortly after the February 2022 invasion, during which Russia demanded terms that were widely perceived as a call for Kyiv’s capitulation.

Last week, Putin declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire to align with Victory Day celebrations, but Ukrainian officials criticized it as a political maneuver. Both sides accused each other of breaching the temporary halt.