Russia launched a record 267 drones into Ukraine overnight into Sunday destroying infrastructure and killing at least 3 people, one day before the world marks the third year of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media that it was “the largest attack since Iranian drones began hitting Ukrainian cities and villages.” Ukraine’s air force said 138 drones were shot down over 13 Ukrainian regions, with 119 more lost en route to their targets.
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Three ballistic missiles had also been fired, the air force said. One person was killed in a missile strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih, according to the head of the Kryvyi Rih military administration.
Zelenskyy said Russia has launched nearly 1,150 drones, more than 1,400 guided aerial bombs and 35 missiles this week.
“Every day, our people stand against aerial terror,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
The attack came as leaders in Kyiv and across Europe are seeking to navigate rapid changes in U.S. foreign policy under President Trump, who in a matter of days has upended years of firm support for Ukraine, leading to fears that he would join with Moscow to force a settlement to the war without involving Ukraine and its European backers.
Mr. Trump’s engagement with Russian officials and his agreement to reopen diplomatic ties and economic cooperation with Moscow marked a dramatic about-face in U.S. policy which previously sought to isolate Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, over the war.
Iryna Rybakova/Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanized Brigade via AP)
Zelenskyy has expressed fears that Trump pushing a quick resolution would result in lost territory for Ukraine and vulnerability to future Russian aggression, though U.S. officials have asserted that the Ukrainian leader would be involved if and when peace talks actually start.
“We must do everything possible to bring a lasting and just peace to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media on Sunday. “This is achievable through the unity of all partners—we need the strength of all of Europe, the strength of America, the strength of everyone who seeks lasting peace.”
Mr. Trump, however, prompted alarm and anger in Ukraine when this week he suggested that Kyiv had started the war, and that Zelenskyy was acting as a “dictator” since the country has not held elections in accordance with Ukrainian legislation prohibiting them during martial law.
Russia’s deputy foreign minister on Saturday said preparations were underway for a Trump-Putin meeting, a further sign that the Russian leader’s isolation, at least for the Trump administration, was beginning to thaw. The White House did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment on the proposed meeting.
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Zelenskyy and other officials will attend a forum in Kyiv on Sunday. The forum will discuss the country’s state a day before the war reaches its three-year mark. Zelenskyy will conclude the forum with a news conference.
Meanwhile, Putin in a special televised message Sunday praised Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine for defending “their native land, the national interests and the future of Russia.”
Putin’s speech marked Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day, which falls a day before the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. He used the holiday greeting to pledge greater social support for military personnel and new weapons and equipment for Russian forces.
“Today, as the world is changing impetuously, our strategic course for strengthening and developing the Armed Forces remains unchanged,” he said, adding that Russia would continue to develop its armed forces “as the essential part of Russia’s security that guarantees its sovereign present and future.”