Russia and Ukraine engaged in aerial attacks against each other overnight into Saturday, despite ongoing discussions regarding a 30-day proposed ceasefire brokered by the United States.

Less than a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US representative Steve Witkoff in Moscow to discuss the ceasefire terms, amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Moscow.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that it had intercepted and shot down 126 Ukrainian drones.

Sixty-four drones were reportedly destroyed over the southern Volgograd region, with additional drones neutralized over Voronezh, Belgorod, Bryansk, Rostov, and Kursk regions.

The governor of Volgograd confirmed that drone debris caused a fire in the Krasnoarmeysky district near the Lukoil oil refinery, without providing further details.

Ukraine’s air force indicated on Saturday that Russia launched 178 drones in an overnight assault, with 130 drones shot down and 38 more losing their way. This often results from electronic jamming efforts.

The attacks involved a mix of Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones intended to confuse air defenses.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy provider, stated that the aerial strikes damaged their energy facilities in the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, leaving some homes without electricity.

For over three years, Russia has been carrying out persistent and devastating aerial attacks on Ukraine, with a significant number targeting the country’s energy infrastructure.