Day 1,411: An air strike on Kyiv killed one civilian, while drone and missile attacks across northeastern Ukraine and Russian border regions left multiple civilians dead or wounded. Moscow reported daily drone incursions and said hundreds of drones had been intercepted nationwide. Baltic and Finnish authorities are investigating suspected sabotage of undersea telecoms cables. International leaders commented on the attacks and the prospects for progress toward peace, as Zelenskyy imposed new sanctions on individuals and entities linked to Russia’s defence supply chain.
Russia-Ukraine War — Day 1,411: Kyiv Hit, Drone Strikes Escalate, Undersea Cables Damaged
The Estonian Navy conducts an undersea communications cable survey after a subsea gas pipeline and a telecom cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea were damaged, in the Gulf of Finland [File: Estonian Navy Handout/Handout via Reuters]
Day 1,411 of the Russia-Ukraine war saw fresh air and drone strikes, civilian casualties, and new allegations of sabotage in the Baltic Sea. Both sides reported attacks and gains, while world leaders weighed in on the prospects for progress toward peace.
Kyiv
Russian forces launched an air attack on Kyiv on Monday. Ukraine’s military said the strike killed one civilian — the first reported death in the capital so far this year.
Northeastern Ukraine
Russia carried out drone strikes in northeastern Ukraine on Sunday. Local officials said the attacks killed at least two people in the Sumy region and wounded three people in the Kharkiv region. Ukrainian authorities also reported that the death toll from a separate Russian missile strike on Kharkiv on Friday rose to five after human remains were found in the wreckage.
Moscow And Russian Border Regions
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said Ukraine has targeted Moscow with drones every day of 2026 so far, a change from earlier, more sporadic strikes. By midnight on Sunday, Moscow’s defence authorities reported that air-defence systems had intercepted 57 drones over the Moscow region and that 437 drones had been downed across Russia in total.
Authorities temporarily closed three of Moscow’s four major airports on Sunday after dozens of drones were reported over the capital. Russian officials added that Ukrainian drone strikes in the border regions of Belgorod and Kursk killed two people and injured a woman and a four-year-old child. A separate drone attack sparked a fire at an industrial zone housing the Energiya battery plant in Yelets in Lipetsk region, regional Governor Igor Artamonov said.
Frontline Fighting
Moscow’s Defence Ministry said Russian forces had taken control of the settlement of Podoly in Kharkiv region. Ukrainian military reports said Russian troops launched 14 assaults near eight settlements in the Kupiansk direction, underscoring continued heavy fighting along the front.
Undersea Cable Incidents
Latvian police said an undersea telecommunications cable from Sventoji (Lithuania) to Liepaja (Latvia) was damaged in the Baltic Sea on Friday; investigators boarded a ship connected to the incident. The disclosure followed Finnish authorities' detention of a cargo vessel en route from Russia to Israel, suspected of sabotaging a separate undersea cable from Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland to Estonia. Finnish police said the vessel’s anchor had dragged along the seabed for "at least several tens of kilometres" before striking the cable.
International Reactions
In Washington, former US President Donald Trump said US officials had concluded Ukraine was not behind a reported strike on a residence attributed to Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. Trump told reporters he did not believe the strike happened as claimed. European officials suggested Moscow may have used the claim to undermine peace negotiations.
In London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC that 2026 could be a year of "significant progress" toward peace and that the question of US security guarantees for Ukraine was further advanced than ever before.
Sanctions
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree imposing sanctions on 95 individuals and 70 legal entities, mostly citizens and residents of Russia, accusing them of involvement in supplying Russia’s defence industry.
Help us improve.
