Russia Launches 426 Drones And Missiles As Ukraine Endures ‘Another Night Of Terror’

Ukraine reported that Russia had launched 426 drones and missiles while peace talks remained on a “situational pause” amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

At least four people were killed and dozens others injured in the overnight Russian attack that hit several regions across the country, the Ukrainian authorities said on March 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that “recovery efforts are under way” after a Russian attack, noting that “damage has been reported in 11 regions.”

“Another night of Russian terror against Ukraine,” Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote following the deadly attack.

“When Russia fails on the battlefield and cannot impose its will at the negotiating table, it resorts to terror against civilians,” Sybiha said. “Typical methods of Russian criminals.”

“Pressure on Russia must be intensified without delay. Sanctions must bite harder. The 20th EU package must be adopted. The shadow fleet must be anchored,” Sybiha wrote in a post on X.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has condemned the Russian attack as “a war crime — and an attack on all of us.”

“Overnight strikes disconnected Moldova’s key power link with Europe. Alternative routes are in place, but the situation remains fragile. Russia alone bears responsibility,” she wrote in a post on X.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russian launched 34 missiles and 392 drones, including seven Iskander ballistic, 23 cruise, and four guided air-to-air missiles. Ukrainian military says its air forces have intercepted 365 drones and 25 missiles.

In his nightly address just hours before the Russian attack, President Zelenskyy, citing intelligence reports, warned of a possible large-scale Russian strike and urged citizens to remain alert to air raid signals.

Meanwhile, Russian Defense Ministry said their forces have intercepted 55 Ukrainian drones overnight, a day after Ukraine hit a fuel reservoir at the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, the country’s largest western oil-exporting hub.

The latest attacks occurred as Russia announced that trilateral talks between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv aimed at ending the war in Ukraine were on “situational pause” following the start of the Iran war.

“This is a situational pause, for obvious reasons,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that as soon as “our American partners” could pay more attention to Ukrainian affairs, Moscow hoped that the pause could end and that a new round of talks could take place.

With reporting from RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service and Reuters