Russia has declared the ongoing conflict in Ukraine an 'existential issue' as it initiated a massive assault on its neighbor, resulting in at least four confirmed deaths during nighttime strikes.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, stated in a press conference that for Russia, the situation represents a matter of national interest, security, and the future of its citizens.

As fighting continues to rage between the two nations, peace negotiations initially revived by President Donald Trump in recent months appear to have stalled.

Reports of air raid warnings rang out across Ukraine, particularly in the western regions far from the frontline.

One Kyiv resident, Ksenia, recounted hearing the sounds of approaching drones followed by an explosion, as a residential building sustained severe damage in the assault.

The Ukrainian Emergency Services reported that three rescue workers were killed and around 50 people were injured in the attacks, including 14 emergency responders.

In a social media post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia must be held accountable for its actions, highlighting that cities and villages have been bombed since the start of the conflict.

He urged the U.S., Europe, and the global community to exert pressure on Russia to halt the war.

Casualty reports indicated that the Russian bombardment affected nine regions, including Volyn, Lviv, Ternopil, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, and Khmelnytskyi.

The Ukrainian Air Force revealed that a total of 407 attack and decoy drones and 45 missiles were launched against Ukraine during the assault.

Ukrainian defense forces managed to neutralize 199 drones and 36 missiles, with 13 sites hit during the bombardment and an additional 19 sites damaged by falling debris from intercepted missiles.

The Russian Ministry of Defense declared that the attacks targeted Ukrainian military sites in retaliation for what it deemed recent 'terrorist' acts orchestrated by Kyiv.

Military aviation experts speculate that it may take Russia several years to replace bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons that were damaged in Ukrainian drone strikes.

Satellite imagery has revealed extensive damage at military airports in Siberia and the Far North of Russia, with several aircraft completely burned, although conflicting accounts about the total number of affected aircraft exist.

U.S. officials estimate that approximately 20 fighter jets have been affected, about half of the figure reported by the Ukrainian president, with around 10 aircraft reported as completely destroyed.

The Russian government denied any aircraft loss, asserting that damages incurred by some planes would be repaired, while Russian military bloggers described serious losses of more than ten aircraft, criticizing military leadership for negligence.

Ukrainian attacks have been meticulously planned over an 18-month intelligence operation dubbed 'Spider Web,' where drones were smuggled in trucks to locations near military bases.

This escalated conflict strikes a symbolic blow to Russia, a nation that has repeatedly emphasized its nuclear prowess during the conflict.

Experts noted that while the strikes inflict significant damage to some capabilities, they will not critically impair Russia's nuclear strike capacity, which largely relies on land-based and submarine-launched missiles.

However, Justyn Bronk, a military aviation analyst, highlighted that the bombers affected include models such as the Tu-95MS Bear H and Tu-22M3 Backfire, which have played a key role in launching conventional missiles against Ukrainian cities, military production facilities, and critical energy infrastructure.

Since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Russian bombardments have consistently resulted in civilian casualties.

The Ukrainian military claimed successful strikes on two additional air bases in Russia, targeting facilities in Saratov and Ryazan, which reportedly led to damage of fuel storage facilities.

In response to the ongoing attacks, the Russian military stated that they neutralized 174 Ukrainian drones targeted at Russia, temporarily closing three airports in Moscow until air traffic restrictions were lifted.

The Russian National Guard also reported neutralizing an individual preparing to launch a drone attack on a military site.

Despite ongoing efforts for peace negotiations mediated by Turkey, the conflict appears to be escalating further.

Russia currently occupies approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which it annexed unilaterally in 2014. Previous rounds of negotiations have failed to reconcile differing positions regarding territorial withdrawals and Ukraine's alignment with NATO.

As the situation remains fluid, Ukraine and Russia have agreed to conduct a new prisoner exchange of 500 captives from each side while previously exchanging a total of 1,000 prisoners in May.