Russia launched a large-scale drone assault on Ukraine after a three-day ceasefire between the two countries came to an end, with Ukrainian officials reporting at least 800 drones used in attacks across multiple regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement on Telegram that Russia carried out the extensive drone campaign on Wednesday, targeting several areas including the capital Kyiv, the western city of Lviv near the Polish border, and regions around the Black Sea coast.
Read More: Russia, Ukraine trade deadly overnight drone strikes
According to Ukrainian authorities, at least six people were killed and dozens injured in the strikes as air raid alerts were activated in multiple cities. Emergency teams were deployed to affected locations to deal with casualties, fires and damage to infrastructure.
Russia unleashed a massive daytime drone attack on Ukraine, targeting critical infrastructure in the west, killing at least six people and prompting NATO-member Poland to scramble fighter jets, officials said https://t.co/uBj2htFy4z pic.twitter.com/UtAJEei6k2
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 14, 2026
‼️🇺🇦—-ALERT
UKRAINE
Images coming out of Kiev, Ukraine tonight following a significant attack by Russia involving drones, air launched cruise missiles and ground launched missiles which are still striking as of 5 minutes ago.
Targets included area or buildings that were… pic.twitter.com/G3Dh15cGQx
— 🇷🇺 Vanguard-Veritas🇨🇦 (@RussCan91) May 14, 2026
Zelensky said Ukrainian forces were actively defending the country, but accused Russia of attempting to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defence systems through sustained drone waves. He warned that the drone attacks could be followed by cruise missile and ballistic missile strikes.
Reports indicated that Russia also targeted western Ukrainian regions close to NATO member states. Among the affected areas was Zakarpattia, Ukraine’s westernmost region bordering Slovakia.
Following the attacks, the Slovak government announced the indefinite closure of a land border crossing with Ukraine, citing security concerns linked to the escalating military activity near its frontier.
Meanwhile, Russian officials claimed Ukrainian drones targeted three industrial facilities inside Russia by Wednesday morning, signalling continued cross-border attacks from both sides.
The latest escalation came immediately after a US-mediated three-day ceasefire expired on Monday night. Although both Russia and Ukraine had accused each other of multiple violations during the truce, no major aerial offensives were reported during the pause in hostilities.
Read More: Russia launches massive drone strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine retaliates
The renewed attacks highlight the fragility of temporary ceasefires in the conflict and suggest that prospects for a longer-term de-escalation remain uncertain.
The Russia-Ukraine war has continued to intensify in recent months, with both sides relying heavily on drone warfare to strike military, industrial and infrastructure targets.