Russia steps up strikes and ground assaults in biggest attack on Ukraine in weeks

Rescue workers try to put out a fire of a residential building burning after a Russian drone attack on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

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AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko
Copyright AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko
Published on 24/03/2026 - 13:32 GMT+1•Updated
13:36
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Russia fired almost 400 long-range drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s air force said, in its biggest attack in weeks
The onslaught continued into Tuesday as dozens of drones targeted the capital Kyiv during daylight.

Russia has launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles across Ukraine, while Moscow's army stepped up efforts to break through Ukrainian front-line defences in what could be the start of an anticipated spring ground offensive.

Frontline bracing for new offensive
On the roughly 1,250-kilometre frontline along eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, the Ukrainian defenders have been bracing for a new offensive by Russia's army as the weather improves.

The Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Russian troops in recent days have made simultaneous attempts to break through defensive lines in several strategic areas.

“Fierce fighting unfolded along the entire line of contact,” Syrskyi said Monday on the Telegram messaging app, with Russia launching 619 attacks in four days.

“The occupiers are attempting to bring up new units and are preparing to continue attacks,” Syrskyi said, adding that Ukraine had deployed reinforcements to counter the assaults.

Ukrainian recruits rest after drills at a training ground in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 21, 2026.

Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank, said Syrskyi’s report backed up its assessment that Russia’s spring-summer offensive is now under way.

Russia has escalated its strikes since 17 March and has moved heavy equipment and more troops to the front line, the ISW said late Monday.

Ukrainian civilians have endured relentless barrages since Russia launched a full-scale invasion more than four years ago
US-brokered talks between Moscow and Kyiv over the past year have brought no respite, with Russia rejecting Ukraine’s offer of a ceasefire, and in recent weeks the Iran war has diverted international attention from Russia's all-out invasion.

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