Russia and Ukraine Exchange Massive Drone Strikes Amid Ceasefire Talks

Russia and Ukraine launched extensive aerial attacks against each other overnight on Saturday, March 15, 2025, with both nations reporting over 100 enemy drones in their respective airspaces.

Photo source: Ukrainian Emergency Services via AP

This escalation comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss an American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia unleashed 178 drones and two ballistic missiles across the country. The assault included a mix of Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones designed to confuse air defense systems.

Ukrainian forces managed to intercept approximately 130 drones, while 38 failed to reach their intended targets.

The Russian attacks caused significant damage to energy infrastructure in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to DTEK, a private Ukrainian energy company. "The damage is significant. Energy workers are already working on the ground. We are doing everything possible to restore power to homes as soon as possible," DTEK stated.

In Russia, Governor Andrei Bocharov of the Volgograd region confirmed that falling drone debris ignited a fire near a Lukoil oil refinery in the Krasnoarmeysky district. Local media reported that nearby airports temporarily suspended operations, though no casualties were reported.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 126 Ukrainian drones, with 64 downed over the Volgograd region alone. Additional drones were reportedly intercepted over the Voronezh, Belgorod, Bryansk, Rostov, and Kursk regions.

These attacks occur against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic efforts to establish a ceasefire. On Thursday, Putin expressed support for a truce in principle but emphasized the need for clarification on various details. "We believe that this ceasefire should lead to a long-term peace and eliminate the initial causes of this crisis," Putin stated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, accused Moscow of building up forces along the border, stating, "The buildup of Russian forces indicates that Moscow intends to keep ignoring diplomacy. It is clear that Russia is prolonging the war."

Zelenskyy also refuted claims of Ukrainian troop encirclement in Russia's Kursk region, asserting, "The operation of our forces in the designated areas of the Kursk region continues. Our troops continue to hold back Russian and North Korean groupings in the Kursk region. There is no encirclement of our troops."