Russia's military announced on Tuesday that its air defenses had intercepted 337 Ukrainian drones overnight across 10 regions in what seems to be Ukraine's largest drone attack on Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion began over three years ago.

The attack coincided with talks in Saudi Arabia where senior Ukrainian officials met with a U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss ways to end the war. These discussions follow a diplomatic dispute that occurred during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the White House on February 28. Shortly after the disagreement, President Trump halted all U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, putting the country at a disadvantage as it continues to resist Russia's ongoing territorial advances. Ukraine's air force reported that it successfully intercepted a ballistic Iskander-M missile and shot down 79 out of 126 drones launched by Russia during an overnight attack, as reported by Reuters. The Air Force added that 35 more drones likely failed to reach their targets due to electronic warfare countermeasures. Details about the remaining 12 drones were not provided.

According to Russia's Defense Ministry, most of the Ukrainian drones, totaling 126, were intercepted over the Kursk region, located near the Ukrainian border where Kyiv's forces hold some territory. An additional 91 drones were shot down over the Moscow region. Other areas mentioned in the statement include Belgorod, Bryansk, and Voronezh — all near the Ukrainian border — as well as regions deeper inside Russia, such as Kaluga, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, and Ryazan. Commuters in central Moscow continued with their daily routines, showing no signs of panic, according to Reuters.

Moscow, one of Europe's largest metropolitan areas, has a population of around 21 million when including the surrounding region. The governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, reported that an attack resulted in one death and left nine others injured. The incident also caused damage to several residential buildings and multiple cars. Flights were restricted at six airports, including Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky near Moscow, as well as airports in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Later, Sheremetyevo Airport resumed operations, according to Russia's aviation authority Rosaviatsia, as reported by Reuters.

While President Volodymyr Zelenskyy still wants Western security guarantees as part of a ceasefire to deter any future Russian aggression, a senior Ukrainian official said his country's message to Rubio and the American team in Jeddah on Tuesday would be that Kyiv is ready to forge a peace deal with Russia. For the time being, they were focused on "how to start this process." U.S. and Ukrainian officials provided no details as they met in the Saudi capital, seated on opposite sides of a U-shaped table. Representatives from the host nation occupied the seats at the table's end. The key message of Zelenskyy's delegation was that "Ukrainians want peace," and that his nation was "ready to go" to work toward that objective, Andriy Yermak, his chief of staff, told reporters before his meeting with Rubio and U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. The Ukrainian government stated that President Zelenskyy's administration is "prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve peace."

When questioned about Ukraine's security guarantees, which Kyiv and European officials have stated for months are essential to making sure any truce lasts. Yermak said they were "very important, because we want that never, this aggression, [is] never repeated in the future again. Of course, it's very important. But now we think it's necessary to discuss [with] the most important how to start this process." Yermak stated that Ukraine was "very open" and expressed hope for a "very constructive, deep" discussion with U.S. representatives.

Former President Trump has been encouraging Kyiv to agree to a deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine's valuable mineral reserves, including rare earth elements. However, the White House has not yet outlined its conditions for advancing serious peace talks with Russia. Trump mentioned he might consider imposing additional sanctions on Russia. When asked on Tuesday about what terms Ukraine might accept or reject, Yermak refused to provide details before the upcoming meeting in Jeddah. He said he hoped to share more information after speaking with Rubio and Waltz.