Russia Unleashes Largest Drone Barrage Since War Began, Killing Civilians in Ukraine
May 18, 2025
In a dramatic escalation of hostilities, Russia launched 273 drones against Ukraine overnight, marking the largest drone attack since the full-scale war began in 2022. The aerial offensive primarily targeted the Kyiv region as well as Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk in the east. Ukrainian officials confirmed one civilian death—a 28-year-old woman—and at least three injuries, including a four-year-old child.
This unprecedented strike occurred just after direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed for the first time in nearly three years, and only one day before a scheduled phone call between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian military interpreted the attack as an intimidation tactic rather than a purely strategic operation.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that many of the drones used were either decoys or failed mid-flight. Of the 273 drones launched, 128 disappeared from radar—likely due to fuel exhaustion or software failures. Another 88 drones were intercepted by Ukrainian air defense systems.
Serhii Kuzan, chair of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre, revealed that a significant number of drones were fitted with Luneberg lenses to mimic larger aerial threats. “These fake drones force our defenders to react, revealing the location of air defense assets,” he said. “Russia then uses this information for targeted follow-up strikes or to reroute real attack drones.”
The decoys, made of plywood and foam, are reportedly produced alongside real Shaheed-136 drones at a facility in Tatarstan's Alabuga Special Economic Zone. Their design allows them to mimic authentic threats on radar systems, overwhelming Ukrainian defenses.
Though the physical damage from the attack was relatively minimal, the symbolic weight was far greater. The timing—aligned with recent diplomatic talks and high-level international communications—suggests a calculated move by Moscow to project strength.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, stated on Telegram: “It’s been a tough night. Russia has always used war and attacks to intimidate everyone in negotiations.”
Meanwhile, a separate drone strike in Ukraine’s Sumy region on Saturday killed nine civilians on a shuttle bus. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as a “deliberate” act of aggression and called for increased sanctions against Moscow. The Russian side claimed it had been targeting a military installation.
Despite high hopes, Friday’s peace talks in Istanbul resulted in only a limited agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war on each side. No ceasefire was achieved. President Trump is expected to speak with both Putin and Zelenskyy on Monday, possibly shaping the next phase of the conflict.
As the war enters its third year, Ukraine braces for continued hybrid warfare—where psychological, strategic, and technological tactics converge in an ever-evolving battlefield.