Russia Hits Ukraine With Record 1,400+ Drones Amid Renewed Peace Push

Russia launched nearly 1,500 drones and missiles against Ukraine in a 24-hour period, setting a wartime record. The strikes targeted western regions and Kyiv, coincided with renewed peace efforts, and reflected Russia’s tactic of overwhelming air defenses while pressuring civilians. Make us preferred on Google Flip Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Smoke from an explosion among multi-story residential buildings is seen during Russian drone and missile strikes in Kyiv on May 14, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Russia launched nearly 1,500 drones against Ukraine between Wednesday and Thursday, setting a new record for the highest number launched within a 24-hour period. The number came via two major waves, initially around 750 drones targeting Western Ukraine and railway infrastructure, and overnight against Kyiv and other cities via around 650 drones , plus missiles. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . Wednesday’s daytime attack struck Uzhhorod, a city on Ukraine’s border with Hungary, for the first time since the 2022 invasion, prompting Budapest to summon the Russian ambassador – also a first since the start of the war. Overnight in Kyiv, one of the missiles toppled a residential building, with Kyiv Post correspondents registering explosions ringing across the city throughout the night. The attack coincides with renewed peace push from Washington and reiterated hardline stance from Moscow, with US President Donald Trump saying he believes the war’s end is “ very close ,” and the Kremlin again demanding Kyiv withdraw from territories it still holds in the Donbas for negotiations. The two attacks combined – with around 1,484 drones and missiles documented – mark the highest number of aerial weapons launched within a day during the war. According to the Ukrainian Air Force’s Thursday morning update , Russia launched 731 drones and missiles overnight between 6 p.m. on Wednesday and 8 a.m. on Thursday. Other Topics of Interest Putin Replaces Governors of Two Regions Bordering Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced the governors of Belgorod and Bryansk, two Russian regions bordering Ukraine that have faced repeated cross-border attacks during the war. The new appointments include a Russian army general who fought in Ukraine and a former official linked to Russian occupation authorities in eastern Ukraine. In an earlier update , it said another 753 drones were launched between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, excluding the 139 drones before that timeframe. The latest strike is also close to a fifth of the total number of drones launched in April, which marked an all-time high at 6,583 drones launched throughout the month – a slight uptick from the 6,462 registered in March. Speaking to Kyiv Post during the attack, Elkhan Nuriyev, a member of Ukraine’s Officers’ Union, said the tactic aims to wear down Ukrainian defenses while maximizing psychological pressure on civilians. “Drones have been coming in waves for more than 30 hours,” Nuriyev said. “They usually launch missiles at night, when people are asleep, to cause maximum disruption and anxiety.” The previous record in a 24-hour period was set in March, when Russia launched 948 drones in a single day, according to defense outlet Militarnyi . The largest number of drones launched in a single attack was on Sept. 7 2025, when Russia launched 805 drones overnight in an attack that killed at least four civilians. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.