On 13 May 2026, Russia launched a significant daytime drone assault on Ukraine, deploying over 200 Shahed-type drones.Air raid alerts were sounded across multiple regions, including Kyiv, with explosions from air defences reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of potential waves of drone attacks and highlighted Russia's deliberate targeting of railway infrastructure and civilian areas.

The attacks followed the expiry of a three-day ceasefire, resulting in at least six fatalities, including two in Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih, where an infant was severely injured.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continue, with former US President Donald Trump expressing optimism that the war's conclusion is approaching, although Zelensky maintained that Moscow has no intention of halting hostilities.The Kremlin echoed Putin's previous claims that the conflict was nearing its end, even proposing Gerhard Schröder as a potential European envoy.Russia also tested its new intercontinental ballistic missile, the Sarmat, described as the world's most powerful.Ukraine is working with European allies to develop anti-ballistic missile defences, involving 13 countries and NATO representatives.

In other developments, Ukraine's anti-corruption authorities charged Zelensky's former chief of staff with laundering millions, and a Scottish man was sentenced to over eight years for spying for Russia.

The ongoing drone exchanges continue to cause civilian and infrastructural damage, underscoring the high stakes and sustained intensity of the conflict.