Russia Pounded By Biggest Ukrainian Drone Swarm Since January Ahead Of Geneva Talks

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday is reporting an overnight and early morning attack which marked the largest drone assault from Ukraine since early January.

Russian air defenses shot down more than 150 Ukrainian drones in the attack which included hundreds of UAVs sent in total, as officials from both sides are imminently expected meet in Switzerland for another round of peace talks.

According to the ministry, 79 drones were intercepted over the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, 38 over annexed Crimea, and 18 over the Krasnodar region.

It is clearly among the biggest single wave of cross-border assaults since January 1st – when Moscow said it downed 168 unmanned aircraft in a similar attack.

Russian governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev announced that in Crimea a nine-year-old boy was hospitalized with minor injuries, and that there was significant damage to vehicles, apartment buildings, private homes, and gas pipelines due to the strikes.

Neighboring Krasnodar saw a fire erupt at the Ilsky Oil Refinery due to drone strikes. Ukraine’s military boated of hitting the refinery, as it is owned by the Kuban Oil and Gas Company, which Kiev has highlighted supports Russian military logistics.

Authorities in other regions reported no casualties or significant damage from the overnight attacks – though airports across over a dozen cities imposed temporary flight restrictions as the drone wave unfolded.

Russia’s Defense Ministry later into Tuesday morning said it shot down nearly 30 additional inbound Ukrainian drones.

As for the ongoing peace talks in Geneva, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told a press briefing not to expect much in terms of anything concrete today.

“I don’t think we should expect any news today because, as you know, work is scheduled to continue tomorrow. We have no plans to make any statements or remarks,” he underscored.

Peskov explained on Monday, “This time, the idea is to discuss a broader range of issues, including, in fact, the main ones. The main issues concern both the territories and everything else related to the demands we have put forward.”

Russia’s delegation is led by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will represent the US at the talks, and they are coming off the indirect talks with Iran from earlier the same day, also happening in Geneva.

Flight route of the Russian delegation led by Vladimir Medinsky to Geneva.

The aircraft avoided a direct route over most EU airspace and flew only through Italian airspace. As we noted yesterday, Italy was the most likely option — unlike the openly hostile Baltic states,… pic.twitter.com/zVoY46zO0W

— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) February 17, 2026

As for President Trump’s latest assessment, he told reporters aboard Air Force One, “Well, we have big talks.” He stated that “It’s going to be very easy. I mean, look, so far, Ukraine better come to the table fast. That’s all I’m telling you.”

He tends to go back and forth from month to month chastising either side, and apparently now the public pressure is back on the Zelensky government. Trump has been quieter of late when it comes to demanding that Ukraine quickly hold national elections, despite an apparent offer from the Kremlin to cease airstrikes deep inside Ukraine when the vote happens.