Russia Launches Large-Scale Drone Attack on Multiple Ukrainian Regions

Russia conducted a large-scale drone operation using at least 800 drones that targeted about 20 regions of Ukraine on May 13, according to Ukrainian officials. The operation struck areas including the capital Kyiv, the western city of Lviv near the Polish border, the Black Sea port of Odesa and the Transcarpathia region.

It began in midmorning and continued for hours, extending into Thursday morning with additional strikes. Ukrainian officials said the apparent aim was to overload air defenses across a wide area. The strikes hit regions sometimes far from the front lines, a pattern that has intensified in recent weeks.

One neighboring country summoned the Russian ambassador after a drone incident near its border with Ukraine. Officials there condemned the strike on Transcarpathia and pressed for an end to the conflict, marking a shift from that government's previous approach.

Ukrainian officials said six people were killed and dozens wounded, including children. They vowed to maintain both military pressure and diplomatic efforts.

The Russian president said in a speech last weekend that the invasion is possibly coming to an end. A Kremlin spokesperson indicated that Moscow's fundamental terms remain unchanged. Russia continues to insist that Ukrainian troops withdraw from four regions that Moscow annexed in September 2022.

US-led diplomatic efforts over the past year have produced no breakthroughs on core issues, including whether Russia keeps seized Ukrainian territory and what security guarantees could prevent future invasions. Neither leader elaborated on what persuaded them that progress toward peace might be near.

On the 1,250-kilometer front line, the advance of Russia's larger and better-equipped army has slowed every month since October, according to one Western think tank. Russian forces recorded a net loss of territory last month for the first time since 2024, that analysis found.

Russia's spring offensive has faltered, the same assessment concluded. Ukrainian officials have shifted from seeking urgent defensive aid to offering partners their expertise on countering attacks developed through domestically produced drone technology.

Ukraine's long-range drone and missile strikes have hit energy facilities and manufacturing sites deep inside Russia.

The latest attacks rattled civilians who sheltered in metro stations in Kyiv as explosions echoed through the afternoon. Ukrainian officials cautioned that a follow-on barrage using cruise and ballistic missiles remained possible after the drone phase ended.