KYIV, Ukraine (BN24) — Ukraine’s military said Saturday it struck a Russian air base deep inside Russian territory as Moscow launched one of its largest drone offensives to date, deploying more than 300 drones in a wave of overnight attacks. The escalating exchange underscores the deepening intensity of the nearly four-year war and the fading hopes for any near-term diplomatic resolution.
Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed a strike on the Borisoglebsk airfield in Russia’s Voronezh region, calling it a strategic base for Russian Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM fighter aircraft. The statement, posted on Facebook, said the attack hit a depot containing glide bombs, a training aircraft, and possibly other combat aircraft. Russian officials have yet to issue a statement in response.
The cross-border strike is part of a growing Ukrainian strategy to degrade Russia’s ability to conduct air raids by targeting high-value infrastructure deep within its territory. Last month, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed more than 40 Russian military aircraft at various airfields in a surprise long-range drone operation.
Meanwhile, Russia intensified its own aerial bombardment, firing 322 drones and decoys into Ukrainian territory overnight into Saturday, according to Ukraine’s air force. Of those, 157 were intercepted, while 135 are believed to have been lost due to electronic jamming.
Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region was the primary target of the assault, though no injuries or damage were reported, regional Governor Serhii Tyurin said.
The onslaught followed a record-breaking aerial assault Friday on the capital Kyiv, described as the largest since the full-scale invasion began. On Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the death toll had risen to two, with 31 people wounded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday he held a “very important and productive” call with U.S. President Donald Trump. The discussion included bolstering Ukraine’s air defense systems, potential joint weapons production, and broader diplomatic efforts to end the war, according to a statement from Zelenskyy’s office.
“We had a very good call, I think,” Trump told reporters late Friday. Asked whether peace was within reach, he added, “I don’t know. I can’t tell you whether or not that’s going to happen.”
While the U.S. has paused some shipments of key military aid, including air defense missiles, Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s intent to ramp up its domestic weapons production—a plan that will take time to implement. European allies are reportedly exploring ways to fill the gap in support.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported it downed 94 Ukrainian drones overnight and an additional 45 during the morning and early afternoon Saturday. In the Saratov region, officials said 25 apartments were damaged in the city of Engels, although no casualties were reported.
In Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said four Ukrainian drones were intercepted as they approached the capital. Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, briefly suspended air traffic at Sheremetyevo Airport as a precaution.
The continued drone duels, tit-for-tat airstrikes, and the intensification of long-range warfare signal that both Kyiv and Moscow are digging in for a protracted fight—despite intermittent signals of interest in ceasefire frameworks.
