Latest as Russia and Ukraine Trade Drone Attacks

UKRAINE – As the Russia and Ukraine war persists with no end in sight, both nations on Tuesday claimed to have intercepted each other’s drones.

According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 113 drones, approximately 70 of which were Shahed types, and 89 were shot down or suppressed over northern, southern, eastern, and central areas.

“There have been 22 strikes by attack UAVs recorded at six locations, with debris from downed drones found at two sites. Two enemy drones remain in the air,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense forces destroyed and intercepted 87 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 30 over Kursk, 18 over Saratov, 11 over Rostov, and others across the Bryansk, Tula, Ryazan, Crimea, Volgograd, Voronezh, and Nizhny Novgorod regions, as well as over the Black Sea.

Overnight Russian Attacks on Zaporizhzhia Kills 2

Ukraine said on Tuesday that two people were killed and 14 others injured in overnight Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia and its surrounding Polohivskyi district.

“Two people were killed and 14 were injured as a result of enemy attacks on the Polohivskyi district and Zaporizhzhia,” regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram, adding that those wounded continued to receive medical treatment.

Kyiv also reported that Russia struck Zaporizhzhia with 10 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) shells around midnight, believed to be Tornado-S rockets.

Zelenskyy Demands Clear Position from Trump on Ending the War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday demanded a “clear position” from US President Donald Trump on ending the over three-and-a-half-year Russia-Ukraine war.

“Before we end the war, I really want to have all the agreements in place. I want to have a document that is supported by the US and all European partners. This is very important. To make this happen, we need a clear position of President Trump,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with Sky News.

His remarks came in response to a question on Trump’s second state visit to the UK this week, on which the Ukrainian president expressed hope that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be able to have a “very specific discussion on the security guarantees of the US for Ukraine.”

In reaction to Trump’s remarks urging Europe to stop buying Russian oil, Zelenskyy said he believes Washington is strong enough to “take decisions of their own” and that his US counterpart can give Ukraine additional air defense systems.

“I’m sure the US can apply enough sanctions in order to hurt the Russian economy, plus Donald Trump has enough force to make Putin afraid of him,” he said.

He expressed agreement with Trump on Europe needing to stop buying Russian oil and gas, but said the US should not wait to impose further sanctions on Moscow.

“Europe has already introduced 18 sanctions packages against Russia. And all that’s lacking now is a strong sanctions package from the US,” the Ukrainian president said.

Zelenskyy reaffirmed his readiness to meet Trump and Vladimir Putin in a trilateral format and his refusal of the Russian president’s proposal to meet in Moscow.

Speaking about the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska last month, Zelenskyy argued that the US president “gave a lot to Putin” and that the Russian president obtained a platform to escape political isolation without paying “anything for it.”

He said that he believes the meeting in Alaska would have had “some result” if it was held in a trilateral format.

Zelenskyy claimed that Putin is trying to “trick the US” in order to avoid sanctions.

The Ukrainian president also touched on recent drone incursions in Poland and Romania, arguing that Russia, which has been accused for the violations by Bucharest, Kyiv, and Warsaw, is “testing NATO” and wants to see what the alliance is “ready for, both diplomatically and politically, and how the local population will respond to this.”

He said the recent incursions served to send a message on not providing Ukraine with additional air defense systems “because you might need them yourself.”