Russia launched a devastating barrage of 147 drones across Ukraine overnight on Sunday, killing at least seven people and striking multiple regions, including the capital, Kyiv. The attack, one of the largest of its kind, comes just before indirect U.S.-mediated ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia scheduled for Monday in Saudi Arabia, aimed at pausing long-range strikes on energy and civilian infrastructure.

Local Ukrainian officials and emergency services reported that three people, including a five-year-old child, perished in Kyiv, with 10 others injured. The Ukrainian Air Force said 97 drones were downed, and 25 failed to reach their targets due to countermeasures. Explosions echoed through Kyiv for over five hours as low-flying drones and debris ignited fires in residential areas. In the Dnipro district, two buildings burned, with one woman killed in a 9-storey structure. Fires also erupted in Podil’s 25-storey building and Holosiivskyi’s warehouse and office spaces, claiming another life.

Beyond Kyiv, four fatalities were reported in the Donetsk region, including three in Dobropillya, according to Gov. Vadym Filashkin. The assault spanned Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Odesa, underscoring its scale. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack on social media, noting that Russia had deployed over 1,580 bombs, 1,100 drones, and 15 missiles against Ukraine this week alone. “New solutions are needed,” he urged, calling for intensified pressure on Moscow.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence countered that it downed 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, with 29 over Rostov—where one person died and a car ignited—and 20 over Astrakhan. As Ukraine prepares to send technical teams to Saudi Arabia to discuss ceasefire details, the timing of this assault raises questions about Russia’s commitment to the talks, set to follow a Ukrainian delegation’s meeting with U.S. officials on Sunday.