Russia and Ukraine trade overnight aerial attacks after Putin sets out conditions for ceasefire

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine traded heavy aerial blows overnight, with both sides on Saturday reporting more than 100 enemy drones over their respective territories.

The attacks comes less than 24 hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine.

Putin told a press conference on Thursday that he supported a truce in principle but set out a host of details that need to be clarified before it is agreed. Kyiv has already endorsed the truce proposal, although Ukrainian officials have publicly raised doubts as to whether Moscow will commit to such a deal.

Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Saturday, after virtual talks between Western allies hosted by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy voiced Ukraine’s support for the 30-day full ceasefire proposal to discuss a longer-term peace plan, but said Russia would attempt to derail talks with conditions and “buts”.

Starmer has told allies to “keep the pressure” on Putin to back a ceasefire in Ukraine, hailing Ukraine as the “party of peace.” Starmer said Putin will “sooner or later” have to “come to the table.

In a statement earlier on Saturday, Zelenskyy had accused Moscow of building up forces along the border.

“The build up of Russian forces indicates that Moscow intends to keep ignoring diplomacy. It is clear that Russia is prolonging the war,” he said.

However, Zelenskyy stressed that if Russia did not agree with the U.S. proposal there would be “specific, harsh and straightforward” response from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

He also said that Kyiv’s troops were maintaining their presence in Russia’s Kursk region after Trump said Friday that “thousands” of Ukrainian troops had been surrounded by the Russian military.

“The operation of our forces in the designated areas of the Kursk region continues,” Zelenskyy said. “Our troops continue to hold back Russian and North Korean groupings in the Kursk region. There is no encirclement of our troops.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Saturday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In the call, they discussed next steps to follow up on recent meetings in Saudi Arabia and agreed to continue working towards restoring communication between the United States and Russia, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

Ukraine’s air force said Saturday that Russia had launched a barrage of 178 drones and two ballistic missiles over the country overnight. The attack was a mixture of Shahed-type drones and imitation drones designed to confuse air defenses. Some 130 drones were shot down, while 38 more failed to reach their targets.

Russia attacked energy facilities, causing significant damage, striking energy infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, Ukraine’s private energy company DTEK said in a statement on Saturday. Some residents were left without electricity.

“The damage is significant. Energy workers are already working on the ground. We are doing everything possible to restore power to homes as soon as possible,” the energy firm said.

Falling drone debris in Russia’s Volgograd region sparked a fire in the Krasnoarmeysky district of the city, close to a Lukoil oil refinery, according to Gov. Andrei Bocharov, who provided no further details. Nearby airports temporarily halted flights, local media outlets reported. No casualties were reported.

The Volgograd refinery has been targeted by Kyiv’s forces on several occasions since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, most recently in a drone attack on Feb. 15.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out a fire at a apartment building following a Russian drone attack in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

This photo taken from a video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, March 15, 2025, shows a view of Sudzha, the biggest town in the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

This photo taken from a video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, March 15, 2025, shows a view of Sudzha, the biggest town in the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

This photo taken from a video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, March 15, 2025, shows a view of Sudzha, the biggest town in the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire at a lyceum following a Russian drone attack in Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, March 15, 2025, a body of a dead Ukrainian serviceman lies on the ground at an area in the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire at a lyceum following a Russian drone attack in Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a fire engine and school buses burn after a Russian drone hit them when firefighters were putting out the fire at a lyceum following Russian drone attack in Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire at the private houses following a Russian guided air bombs attack in Kherson, Ukraine, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire at the private houses following a Russian guided air bombs attack in Kherson, Ukraine, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, March 14, 2025, a Russian soldier greets local citizens of Sudzha, the biggest town in the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, March 15, 2025, a Russian "Grad" self-propelled multiple rocket launcher fires towards Ukrainian positions near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, March 15, 2025, a destroyed Ukrainian Army M2A Bradly armored personal carrier is seen at Cherkasskoe Porechnoe and Pravda in Sudzha district of the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, March 15, 2025, a destroyed Ukrainian Army M777 howitzer, left, is transported at Cherkasskoe Porechnoe and Pravda in Sudzha district of the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, fire engines burn after a Russian drone hit them when firefighters were putting out a fire at a lyceum following Russian drone attack in Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a fire engine and school buses burn after a Russian drone hit them when firefighters were putting out the fire at a lyceum following Russian drone attack in Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis kept working to return, only to get knocked back again by a mysterious illness that sapped his strength.

He finally felt well enough to play again Saturday night, and his big finish showed why the Boston Celtics believe they are so much more dangerous with their man in the middle.

Porzingis scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter after missing the previous eight games, helping the Celtics hold on for a 115-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

“Honestly as the game went on I felt better and better,” Porzingis said. “Kind of had a little crash in the third, but pushed through it and I had a great fourth, and it was a close one but I’m happy we got it done.”

The 7-foot-3 center hadn't played since Feb. 26 in a loss at Detroit. His illness began with what he said was an upper respiratory infection that turned into something worse, perhaps bronchitis. He said testing never determined exactly what it was, though he was negative for mononucleosis.

“It was extremely, extremely frustrating just not knowing what I had,” Porzingis said.

He tried to come back for a showdown at home against the Lakers on March 8, pushing himself through a hard workout the day before.

“But then the crash I had was, like, historic the next day,” he said. “I couldn’t even get out of bed to go to shootaround.”

He tried again that night but realized his energy was still so low that he wouldn't help the team. A week later, he said he still didn't feel perfect but good enough to give it a go. Coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game Porzingis had a restriction of about 32 minutes, longer than Porzingis expected to play.

“Today I thought I was going to play like 20 minutes, but Joe told me mid-fourth, he was like, ‘I’m not going to take you out,’” Porzingis said. “So just bite down and let’s go.”

He ended up at 32 after playing the entire period, and had a three-point play and his only 3-pointer on consecutive possessions midway through the quarter that made it 100-92 after the Nets had cut a 21-point deficit to two.

Porzingis came in averaging 18.9 points but has been limited to just 33 games and Saturday was only his fourth game since the All-Star break. Mazzulla said the Latvian has remained optimistic even throughout his absences.

“When he’s able to play, he always plays,” Mazzulla said, “and when he’s not, he does the necessary steps, whether it’s in the weight room, on the court or in the training room to try to put himself in position to play.”

Derrick White (bruised left knee) and Al Horford (sprained left big toe) sat out Saturday on the second night of back-to-back games after the defending NBA champions won in Miami on Friday and clinched a playoff spot. The Celtics then lost Jaylen Brown in the second half to lower back spasms.

But having Porzingis back was good enough to pull them through.

“He’s been really, really sick, dealing with an illness, so just for him to get back and get his rhythm back is good for us, especially at this stretch before the playoffs,” guard Payton Pritchard said. “Get his legs under him.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Boston Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis (8) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets' Keon Johnson (45) and Ziaire Williams (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe (20) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) dunks against during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Boston Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis (8) dunks ahead of Brooklyn Nets' Day'Ron Sharpe during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)