A statement from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on May 26 about long-range strikes inside Russia resurrected a long-held hope in Ukraine — that Berlin is finally about to send Kyiv its Taurus missiles.

Germany and other Ukrainian allies have lifted restrictions on Kyiv firing long-range missiles into Russia for the first time, the German chancellor said Monday, after days of Russia bombarding the capital and other regions with massive aerial attacks.

Russia launched more than 900 drones and dozens of missiles at Ukrainian cities over a three-day period starting on May 23 in adevastating missile barrage, killing at least six people and injuring 24 others,

Russian forces launched 367 drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities overnight, including the capital Kyiv, in the largest aerial attack of the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected Donald Trump’s proposal to hold Russia-Ukraine peace talks at the Vatican, despite support from Pope Leo XIV. “The Russians didn’t want to go there,” said Special Envoy Keith Kellogg.

Russian drones and missiles again bombarded cities across Ukraine on Saturday night into Sunday morning despite the completion of a major prisoner exchange.

The Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other regions came under a massive Russian drone-and-missile attack Sunday that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens.

Six Ukrainian troops were killed and at least 10 injured in a Russian missile strike as they practised at a firing range in the eastern Sumy region.

The attack came hours after Russia and Ukraine began a major prisoner exchange of hundreds of soldiers and civilians, the first phase of a swap agreed on by the two sides at a meeting in Istanbul last week.

Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds more prisoners on Sunday, the Russian defense ministry said. The announcement came hours after a massive Russian drone-and-missile attack targeted Ukraine.