Russia launches dozens of drones at Ukraine ahead of Trump-Zelenskyy talks
Russia carried out a fresh wave of drone attacks on Ukraine overnight, just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida.
Ukraine’s Air Force said 48 Russian drones were launched from Saturday night into Sunday morning. Of the total, 30 were intercepted or electronically suppressed, while 18 struck targets across nine locations.
The attack capped an intense week of long-range Russian assaults. Ukrainian Air Force data analysed by ABC News shows that at least 1,810 drones and missiles have been fired by Russia over the past week alone.
The latest strikes came as Zelenskyy arrived in North America for talks aimed at ending Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. The Ukrainian leader met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Saturday and is scheduled to hold talks with Trump on Sunday at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Speaking to journalists via WhatsApp, Zelenskyy said progress toward peace would only be possible with strong and legally binding security guarantees from the United States and Europe. He noted that Ukraine had accepted “many different compromises,” but warned such concessions would only make sense if the country is fully protected after any ceasefire.
Zelenskyy stressed that continued Western support remains critical. “If the whole world — Europe and America — is on our side, together we will stop Putin,” he said. “If anyone — whether the U.S. or Europe — is on Russia’s side, the war will continue.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, claimed the West was offering Ukraine favorable terms on security, reconstruction and relations with Moscow, but suggested Kyiv was unwilling to pursue peace. During a visit to a military command post on Saturday, Putin said Russia would achieve its objectives through military means if Ukraine’s leadership refused to agree to a deal.
Zelenskyy has dismissed Moscow’s claims of readiness for peace, describing Russia’s recent missile and drone attacks as its “answer to peace.” He said continued strikes show that Putin and his inner circle have no intention of ending the war.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continued its own long-range attacks on Russian territory. Russia’s Defense Ministry said at least 25 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight, prompting temporary flight restrictions at airports in Samara, Ulyanovsk, Penza, Yaroslavl and Kaluga, according to Russia’s federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya.
