Russia launches largest aerial assault of three-year war on Ukraine

Russia's massive aerial assault on Ukraine over the weekend left at least 12 people dead, including children.

Ukrainian leader blasted Washington over its silence.

Our Kim Bo-kyoung has the details.

At least 12 people were killed and 60 wounded in different regions of Ukraine, after the Kremlin launched a series of air assaults throughout Ukraine late Saturday night.

Among those killed were three children from the same family in the Zhytomyr region – west of Kyiv – according to Ukraine's internal affairs minister.

"Let the world wake up and see. How long can they bomb children? We go to bed and do not know what awaits us in the morning."

Nearly three-hundred attack drones and almost 70 missiles of various types were fired, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his social media X account, where he said ordinary citizens were subject to deliberate attacks.

Zelenskyy condemned America's silence, saying it encouraged Putin, and asked for sanctions that would show the determination of the U.S. and European countries, to stop Russia's brutality.

Later on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, called Russia's overnight attacks a "clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect innocents."

The protocol, is an annex to the Geneva Conventions signed in 1949, containing provisions for the protection of victims of international armed conflicts.

Europe too, strongly condemned Russia and warned of additional sanctions.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Putin, having no interest in peace, should not be tolerated and that the EU will agree to further sanctions.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas was on the same page, stating the strongest international pressure was needed to make Russia end the war.

The assault overnight into Sunday came, despite the largest prisoner swap of the war taking place.

Ukraine brought home 303 prisoners of war on Sunday in the final phase of a one-thousand-for-one-thousand prisoner exchange with Russia.

Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News.