Russia bombards Ukraine with drones hours after Trump announces talks with Putin

Russia targeted Ukraine with its largest azygous drone onslaught yet conscionable hours up of President Donald Trump’s telephone telephone with Vladimir Putin astir ending the war. 

Russia connected Sunday fired a full of 273 exploding drones and decoys targeting Ukraine's Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions, according to Ukraine’s aerial force. Of those, 88 were intercepted and 128 lost, apt being electronically jammed.  

The barrage was the biggest drone onslaught since the commencement of Russia's full-scale penetration successful February 2022, Yuriy Ihnat, caput of the aerial force's communications department, told the Associated Press. 

It came aft Trump said helium would beryllium "speaking, by telephone, to President Vladimir Putin of Russia connected Monday, astatine 10:00 a.m." regarding the warfare successful Ukraine. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP DISHES ON 'GREAT' PHONE CALL WITH RUSSIA'S VLADIMIR PUTIN

Firefighters enactment astatine a gathering deed by a Russian drone onslaught extracurricular of Kyiv, Ukraine, connected Sunday May 18.  (Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko)

"The subjects of the telephone volition be, stopping the ‘bloodbath’ that is killing, connected average, much than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, and trade," Trump wrote connected Truth Social connected Saturday. "I volition past beryllium speaking to President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and then, with President Zelenskyy, assorted members of NATO." 

"Hopefully it volition beryllium a productive day, a ceasefire volition instrumentality place, and this precise convulsive war, a warfare that should person ne'er happened, volition end," Trump added. "God bless america all!!!" 

Firefighters enactment retired a occurrence pursuing Russia's drone onslaught successful the Kyiv portion connected Sunday, May 18.  (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during Monday's property briefing that "The president has made it wide his extremity is to spot a ceasefire and to spot this struggle travel to an end. 

"And he's grown weary and frustrated with some sides of the conflict. The president and his squad person enactment an tremendous magnitude of effort successful solving this precise analyzable warfare that, again, began due to the fact that of the past administration's weakness," she added.

A State Department spokesperson besides told Fox News Digital that determination is nary crushed for Russia to beryllium launching missiles into civilian areas.

The spokesperson besides said the Russia-Ukraine warfare has nary subject solution and that the U.S. volition justice Putin's committedness to bid by his country's actions.

The erstwhile largest known azygous drone onslaught from Russia against Ukraine was connected the eve of the war’s 3rd anniversary, erstwhile Russia pounded Ukraine with 267 drones. 

Kyiv determination Gov. Mykola Kalashnyk said a 28-year-old pistillate was killed in Sunday’s drone attack, and 3 different people, including a 4-year-old child, were wounded, the AP reported. 

MASSIVE RUSSIAN DRONE ATTACK KILLS 7 IN UKRAINE AHEAD OF US PEACE TALKS

Residents basal adjacent to houses heavy damaged by a Russian drone strike, extracurricular of Kyiv connected Sunday, May 18. (Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko)

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio besides met with Zelenskyy successful Rome Sunday for ongoing bid talks. 

"During our talks we discussed negotiations successful Istanbul to wherever the Russians sent a low-level delegation of non-decision-makers. I reaffirmed that Ukraine is acceptable to beryllium engaged successful existent diplomacy and underscored the value of a afloat and unconditional ceasefire arsenic soon arsenic possible," Zelenskyy shared connected X regarding the meeting.  

"We person besides touched upon the request for sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, defence cooperation, battlefield concern and upcoming prisoners exchange. Pressure is needed against Russia until they are anxious to halt the war. And, of course, we talked astir our associated steps to execute a conscionable and durable peace," helium continued.  

Ukraine's aerial unit said Russia's drone onslaught connected Sunday, May 18, was the largest 1 they person launched since Putin's forces invaded the state successful aboriginal 2022. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

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World leaders converged successful Rome this play for Pope Leo XIV's inaugural wide astatine the Vatican connected Sunday, with Vance starring the U.S. delegation. Zelenskyy besides attended the mass. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton and the Associated Press contributed to this report.