KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine said it struck a Russian airbase on Saturday, while Russia continued to pound Ukraine with hundreds of drones overnight as part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than 3-year-old war.

Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine overnight in the largest aerial assault since the war began. The capital Kyiv was the primary target.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported a total of 42 drones destroyed, with 37 of them intercepted in three regions bordering Ukraine: Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk.