Russia launches war’s largest drone attack

Russia launched on Sunday its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, destroying homes and killing at least one woman a day before US President Donald Trump is due to discuss a proposed ceasefire with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine’s intelligence service said it also believed Moscow intended to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile later on Sunday as an attempt to intimidate the West. There was no immediate response from Moscow to the accusation.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, straining to restore ties with Washington after a disastrous February White House visit, met Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome on Sunday on the sidelines of Pope Leo’s inauguration.

Zelenskyy said the meeting was “good” and released pictures of Ukrainian and US officials sitting outside at a round table and smiling. Ukrainian media said the meeting lasted 40 minutes.

“I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy also met Pope Leo following the new pontiff’s inaugural Mass at the Vatican.

Ukraine and Russia held their first face-to-face talks in more than three years on Friday, under pressure from Trump to agree to a ceasefire in a war he has pledged to bring to a quick end. The warring sides agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners each but failed to agree to a truce, after Moscow presented conditions that a member of Ukraine’s delegation called “non-starters”.

The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland planned to speak to Trump before the US and Russian presidents speak on Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.