On Tuesday, Moscow accused Kyiv of escalating aerial attacks in an attempt to derail peace talks that the United States is trying to advance.

Russia stated that its massive strikes on Ukraine over the weekend — which left 13 people dead — were a “response” to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory.

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Diplomatic efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration have so far failed to make any breakthrough, leaving Trump visibly frustrated with both sides.

On Sunday night into Monday, Moscow launched its largest drone assault on Ukraine since the war began in February 2022.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed that “Kyiv, with the support of some European countries, has carried out a series of provocative actions aimed at undermining negotiations initiated by Russia,” adding that the Russian military is striking Ukraine “in response to the massive drone attacks launched by Ukraine on Russian regions.”

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Moscow insisted that it targeted only “military sites” in Ukraine. However, Sunday’s strikes killed 13 civilians, including three children from the same family in the central Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr.

Russia further stated that its attacks were in retaliation for 1,465 drones launched by Ukraine toward its territory since May 20.

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It also reported that Russian civilians — “including women and children” — were injured in Ukrainian attacks, warning that it would continue its strikes “in response to any terrorist act or provocation from Kyiv.”

Amid the intensifying Russian bombardment of Ukraine, the U.S. President described his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as having “gone mad,” marking an abrupt escalation in rhetoric despite several phone conversations between the two leaders in recent months.

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