Tania Myronyshena

The initiative comes as Russia expands a broader recruitment campaign targeting students for its newly created drone units amid mounting battlefield losses in Ukraine.

"We are bringing the war home to Russia, and this is entirely fair," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

Moscow launched 124 drones across Ukraine, 115 of which were intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses, according to the Air Force.

The package includes maintenance and modification support, spare parts, repair services, logistics assistance, and technical support for FrankenSAM HAWK systems, the U.S. State Department said.

When 23-year-old Russian student Valery Averin signed a military contract in January after being recruited into Russia’s drone forces campaign targeting students, he was told he would train as a drone operator. Three months later, he was dead near Luhansk after reportedly being sent into an assault unit despite having no military experience. His case, reported by the BBC Russian Service, appears to be the first known death linked to Russia’s growing campaign to recruit university and college st

The exercises have added significance as they come amid growing warnings from Kyiv that Russia is trying to draw Belarus deeper into its war against Ukraine, while also expanding military infrastructure that could support future Russian operations against Ukraine or NATO's eastern flank.

The development is significant because glide bombs are a primitive yet highly destructive weapon widely used against front-line areas. Russia has continuously modified the bombs to increase their range and destructive power, turning them into one of the biggest threats to both Ukrainian troop positions and civilians near the front line.

The statement offers a stark picture of the deteriorating situation north of Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian troops say Russian drone superiority has made troop rotations, evacuations, and resupply missions nearly impossible.

Ukraine's Navy said the bulk carrier KSL DEYANG, designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargoes such as grains or coal, was flying the flag of the Marshall Islands and is owned by a Chinese company, with a crew of Chinese nationals on board.

Russia launched 524 drones and 22 missiles, including 14 ballistic ones, Ukraine's Air Force said. Of them, 503 drones and 4 missiles were shot down. Direct hits by 18 missiles and 16 drones were recorded at 34 locations.

The number includes 1,220 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

The remarks came as European officials continue debating future engagement with Moscow amid growing uncertainty over the United States' efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

Russia launched 287 attack drones overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force said, adding that 279 drones were shot down or suppressed by air defenses. Eight drones struck seven locations.

A large-scale drone attack targeted the Moscow region overnight on May 16–17, with Russian officials and local residents reporting multiple explosions across the area.

Using deep strikes not only militarily but also as leverage in negotiations, Kyiv is now proposing an "airport ceasefire" with Russia. The proposal comes as Ukrainian long-range drone attacks continue to disrupt Russian air traffic. On May 8, a Ukrainian strike in Russia’s Rostov region damaged a regional air traffic control center coordinating flights across southern Russia, affecting operations at 13 airports and affecting around 200 flights. The disruption was significant enough for Russian