With 41 military aircraft impacted, the Ukrainian drone attack was described by some commentators as Russia's "Pearl Harbor." The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 was a surprise air raid by Japan on the U.S. during World War II. Kyiv's assault follows ground advances by Moscow troops in recent days in Ukraine's Sumy border region.

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday discussed the prospects for ways to settle the Russia-Ukraine conflict ahead of second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday that Ukrainian drones attacked airfields in five regions and that several aircraft had caught fire.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed on Sunday prospects for settling the conflict in Ukraine and Russia-Ukraine talks set for Monday in Turkey, Lavrov's ministry said.

While world leaders bicker over the prospects for peace, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two is heating up fast.

The attack followed a night of bombardment, with Russia launching 472 drones, Ukraine’s air force said. Earlier Sunday, Ukraine’s army said a Russian missile strike on an army training unit killed at least 12 Ukrainian service members and injured 60.

The Russian Air Force’s Su-35 and Su-34 fighters have struggled in Ukraine, while its Su-57 has been largely absent.

The Russian economy faces a banking collapse, companies forgoing dividend payouts and a sharp downturn in growth.