LONDON — Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned its forces shot down 337 Ukrainian drones in a single day, in what gave the impression to be Kyiv’s largest cross-border aerial assault on Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The ministry reported downing UAVs over 10 Russian areas. Moscow air defenses had been firing by the evening whereas going through a number of waves of assault drones, in line with Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. The Protection Ministry mentioned it shot down 91 drones over the capital.
The assault on Moscow was “large,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. Gov. Andrei Vorobyov mentioned no less than two individuals had been killed and eight injured within the capital.
A number of high-rise residential buildings, homes and companies had been broken by drones or falling particles, Vorobyov mentioned.
Russia’s federal air company mentioned flights had been suspended in any respect 4 of Moscow’s airports, with flights at airports within the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod areas to the east of Moscow additionally grounded.
This image reveals a broken condominium constructing in a residential advanced following a drone assault within the village of Sapronovo within the Moscow area on March 11, 2025.
Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP through Getty Photos
The Ukrainian navy didn’t instantly touch upon the strikes.
The drone barrage got here as U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators ready to open ceasefire talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday after weeks of tensions and public disagreements.
President Donald Trump’s administration is pushing Kyiv to make concessions in pursuit of a peace deal to finish Russia’s three-year-old invasion of the nation. The White Home additionally desires Ukraine to log off on a controversial minerals sharing settlement Trump has framed as a option to recoup tens of billions of U.S. assist despatched to Ukraine since 2022.
Kyiv has repeatedly mentioned it won’t settle for any deal that doesn’t embrace concrete safety ensures to stop repeat Russian aggression sooner or later.
Trump has framed Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the primary obstacle to peace, falsely blaming Ukraine for beginning the conflict, looking for to undermine Zelenskyy’s legitimacy and publicly aligning with Moscow’s false narratives across the battle. The U.S. has sought to push Ukraine to the negotiating desk by placing a freeze on navy assist and a few intelligence sharing.
“Crucial factor that we have now to go away right here with is a powerful sense that Ukraine is ready to do troublesome issues,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who will participate in Tuesday’s talks — mentioned on Monday.
Rubio mentioned the Russians “are going to should do troublesome issues” too, although Trump and his high officers haven’t mentioned what concessions Moscow could also be requested to make. U.S. and Russian negotiators first met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, final month.
Zelenskyy traveled to Saudi Arabia on Monday to fulfill with crown prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman. Zelenskyy won’t participate in Tuesday’s talks with the American delegation.
Zelenskyy mentioned he had a “detailed dialogue” with Salman on “the steps and circumstances wanted to finish the conflict and safe a dependable and lasting peace,” in a social media put up after the 2 leaders met.
“I particularly emphasised the difficulty of the discharge of prisoners and the return of our kids, which might change into a key step in constructing belief in diplomatic efforts. A major a part of the dialogue was devoted to the codecs of safety ensures,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Power One on his return to Washington, Mar. 9, 2025.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP through Getty Photos
Zelenskyy mentioned a Ukrainian delegation will “stay” within the nation to “work with the U.S. staff” on Tuesday. Zelenskyy mentioned he hopes for “sensible outcomes,” from the U.S.-Ukraine assembly.
“Ukraine’s place in these talks might be totally constructive,” he added.
A supply near Zelenskyy confirmed to ABC Information that Ukraine will suggest a partial ceasefire in its talks with the U.S. The partial ceasefire would apply to long-range air strikes and assaults at sea, the supply mentioned.
The timeframe for the truce stays unclear.
“We need to suggest a partial ceasefire that may be monitored after which see how the Russians reply to find out the subsequent steps,” the supply added.
Rubio informed reporters on Monday he noticed some promise in Ukraine’s partial ceasefire proposal.
“I am not saying that alone is sufficient, nevertheless it’s the form of concession you would want to see with a view to finish this battle,” he mentioned.
Rubio mentioned finalizing the mineral take care of Ukraine was “an essential subject, nevertheless it’s not the primary subject on the agenda.”
“It is definitely a deal the president desires to see finished nevertheless it does not essentially should occur tomorrow,” he mentioned. “There’s nonetheless extra particulars to work out.”
Within the meantime, nightly exchanges of drones and missiles seem set to proceed.
Ukraine’s air power mentioned its forces tracked one Iskander ballistic missile and 126 drones fired into the nation in a single day. The missile and 79 drones had been shot down, the air power mentioned, with one other 35 UAVs misplaced in flight with out impact.
Donetsk, Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy and Kyiv had been impacted, the assertion mentioned.
Flags of Saudi Arabia and Ukraine line the King Abdulaziz Highway within the Saudi Purple Sea port metropolis of Jeddah forward of a go to by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mar. 10, 2025.
Amer Hilabi/AFP through Getty Photos
Nataliia Popova, Ellie Kaufman and Oleskiy Pshemyskiy contributed to this report.
