Two days after peace talks between Ukraine and Russia and on the same day that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shook hands and smiled diplomatically in Rome with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russia responded with its version of a thank-you note: the largest drone strike on Ukraine since the war began. 273 drones swarmed across Ukraine on Sunday, including in Kyiv, as if Putin mistook “peace talks” for “open season.”

At least person was confirmed killed in the Kyiv region with additional casualties reported in subsequent strikes. Ukrainian air defenses scrambled to shoot down the aerial onslaught. Ukraine’s air force reported 88 drones intercepted and 128 going astray “without negative consequences.”

So much for goodwill and grown-up diplomacy. Moscow appears more interested in shock-and-awe than treaties and timelines.

VP Vance had played statesman abroad, promising continued support to Ukraine while trying to sound like both a peacemaker and a realist. “Ending the bloodshed” was the buzz phrase in a press release sent out by the Vance team and also said by President Trump on social media.

But in a war where every diplomatic handshake seems to come with a new wave of drones, Ukraine may be wondering if peace talks are just another stalling tactic before the next barrage.

Putin’s latest strike, landing right after peace overtures, feels less like military strategy and more like a mafia-style warning. If Zelenskyy hoped the Rome visit would move the needle toward de-escalation, Moscow just answered with an air raid siren.

For those keeping score at home the past week: Peace talks: 1. Drones: 273.

Update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy flat-out rejected Vladimir Putin’s demand that Ukraine pull its troops from four Russian-occupied regions, saying “No.” This came after former President Trump spoke with Putin and said peace talks would start “immediately.” But Putin didn’t agree to an actual ceasefire and instead pushed to talk about the “root causes” of the war. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for a ceasefire with no strings attached and urged the world to keep pressuring Russia. Many experts think Putin is just stalling to drag out the war and get more leverage.