(KYIV) – A weekend of relentless assaults by Russian forces across Ukraine has once again highlighted the stark contrast between the aggressor’s targeting of civilians and Kyiv’s rapidly advancing defensive capabilities. As the Russian military continues to direct its munitions at medical personnel and residential areas, the international community, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, is increasingly turning to Ukraine for its unparalleled expertise in intercepting unmanned aerial vehicles.
In the Kharkiv region on Sunday morning, Russian forces utilised an FPV drone to strike an ambulance near the village of Ternova, killing two medical workers and injuring a third, who has since been hospitalised. A similar strike occurred in the Chernihiv region near a checkpoint in the village of Nove, resulting in fatalities and injuries among Ukrainian military personnel and a police officer. According to the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, explosive devices dropped by the drones continued to detonate at the site while emergency services responded.
Civilian casualties also mounted in other regions. In Zaporizhzhia, the death toll from Saturday’s shelling rose to two after a 17-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries in hospital, bringing the total number of wounded to 21, including a child.
Overnight into Sunday, the Russian army launched a mass aerial assault comprising 97 drones, 70 of which were Iranian-designed Shaheds. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that air defence units successfully neutralised 90 of the drones. However, hits were recorded in five locations. The Kherson region was subjected to further attacks targeting critical infrastructure, social facilities, and residential areas, resulting in one death and 17 injuries, three of whom were children. Six high-rise buildings and 21 private homes sustained damage.
In a suburb of Dnipro, a Shahed drone exploded outside residential buildings, leaving a crater approximately one metre deep. The shockwave blew out around 100 windows across three two-storey apartment blocks and incinerated a parked car, injuring a 73-year-old man. Residents recounted the terrifying moments, with one eyewitness, Yana, describing how window frames collapsed onto the bed where she and her four-year-old son were sleeping. Another resident, Olga, reported a sudden explosion followed immediately by fire entering her apartment.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian defence forces maintained their pressure on Russian military assets. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed strikes on Russian air defence facilities in temporarily occupied Crimea, disabling radar stations and a launcher for the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system. Ukrainian forces also targeted Russian military logistics in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, hitting a supply depot near Osypenko and a drone storage site in the Primorsk area. Furthermore, troop concentrations were struck near Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region, Shakhtarske and Udachne in the Donetsk region, and Petrivka in the occupied Kherson region.
Behind enemy lines, members of the Atesh partisan movement successfully severed power to a Russian brigade headquarters in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region, by sparking a fire at a transformer. This action temporarily deprived Russian artillerymen of communication, disrupting their operational control.
On the front lines, Russian troops made 144 attempts to breach Ukrainian defences over the past 24 hours across 12 directions. The situation remains intensely difficult on the Kostyantynivka section of the front, where Ukrainian forces repelled 28 assaults. A further 20 attacks were halted in the Pokrovsk direction, and 18 advances were repelled towards Huliaipole. Military analysts note that Kostyantynivka remains a primary target for the Russian army as they conduct preparatory operations for a prospective spring offensive.
According to the General Staff, total Russian combat losses since the full-scale invasion have reached 1,279,000 personnel. In the past 24 hours alone, 740 occupiers were eliminated, alongside the destruction of four tanks, an armoured fighting vehicle, 17 artillery systems, nearly 2,000 operational tactical drones, and over 100 military vehicles.
As Ukraine successfully defends its airspace, its technological advancements are drawing global attention. Israel has formally requested cooperation with Ukraine to intercept Iranian drones. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seeking to leverage Kyiv’s extensive combat experience. Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, confirmed the request, noting that discussions are scheduled to establish a new era of defence cooperation.
This expertise is already influencing stability in the Middle East. Following the deployment of 10,000 interceptor drones by the United States to the region, three Ukrainian groups of experts, military personnel, and engineers have travelled to the Middle East to provide practical assistance based on their experience countering Shahed drones. Furthermore, Saudi Aramco is reportedly in discussions with two Ukrainian companies to purchase interceptor drones and electronic warfare systems to protect oil fields from similar attacks.
Diplomatic and military alliances continue to strengthen in Europe. Ukraine and Romania have signed a comprehensive declaration of strategic partnership in Bucharest, which includes an agreement for the joint production of attack drones. In a historic reversal of roles, Ukraine is also set to train European troops. Following an agreement between Berlin and Kyiv, Ukrainian military instructors will deploy to German army schools to impart tactical skills gained from the front lines, aiming to ensure NATO’s readiness to repel any potential Russian aggression by 2029.
Despite these advancements, the leadership in Kyiv continues to warn against international complacency. President Zelenskyy highlighted that Moscow launched over 1,700 drones, 1,500 glide bombs, and 86 missiles in the past week alone, with each missile containing at least 60 foreign components acquired by bypassing sanctions. He cautioned that lifting sanctions would only aid the Russian dictator and ultimately make Europe dependent on the Russian Federation once again. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna echoed this sentiment, warning that any concessions would merely fuel the Kremlin’s war machine and that the international community must maintain decisive pressure.
