Russia carried out its largest attack of the month against Ukraine while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders at the White House.
The strikes follow Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Trump in Alaska last Friday. During that meeting, Putin refused to agree to an immediate ceasefire and demanded Ukraine relinquish its eastern Donetsk region in exchange for ending the conflict that began with Moscow’s February 2022 invasion. Trump later confirmed he had spoken with Putin about arranging a potential meeting between the Russian president and Zelenskyy.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles into Ukraine from Monday night into Tuesday, intercepting or suppressing 230 drones and six missiles. Nevertheless, 40 drones and four missiles struck 16 locations, with debris reported at three sites.
“While hard work to advance peace was underway in Washington, D.C. … Moscow continued to do the opposite of peace: more strikes and destruction,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. “This once again demonstrates how critical it is to end the killing, achieve a lasting peace, and ensure robust security guarantees.”
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry reported that the central Poltava region’s energy infrastructure was targeted in the strikes, although casualty figures were not immediately released.
“As a result of the attack, large-scale fires broke out,” the ministry said. Oil refining and gas facilities were hit, with the ministry describing the strikes as the latest “systematic terrorist attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which is a direct violation of international humanitarian law.”
This attack is the largest since July 31, when Russia launched 309 drones and eight missiles into Ukraine, according to the air force. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 23 Ukrainian drones Monday night into Tuesday morning.
Both sides have continued to target infrastructure, including oil facilities.
Zelenskyy condemned Moscow’s earlier strikes on Monday, which killed at least 14 people and injured dozens more, ahead of his White House visit.
“The Russian war machine continues to destroy lives despite everything. Putin will commit demonstrative killings to maintain pressure on Ukraine and Europe, as well as to humiliate diplomatic efforts. That is precisely why we are seeking assistance to put an end to the killings,” he wrote on X Monday morning.
