Russia launched one of its most intense overnight assaults in months, firing more than 500 drones and over two dozen missiles at Ukraine, officials said Wednesday. The strikes, which targeted mainly western and central regions, left at least five people wounded and caused fresh damage to civilian infrastructure particularly energy facilities as the country braces for another harsh winter nearly three years into the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks as “demonstrative,” accusing Moscow of acting with impunity. He renewed calls for tougher sanctions, warning that without greater pressure on Russia’s war economy, the aggression would continue.
The barrage came as Zelensky met with European leaders to discuss bolstering Ukraine’s defenses and reviving stalled US-led peace efforts. Despite ongoing hostilities along the 1,000-kilometer front line, Zelensky has agreed in principle to a ceasefire proposal and direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, put forward by US President Donald Trump. The Kremlin, however, has expressed caution.
Speaking in Beijing at the close of a four-day visit to China, Putin said he believed “common sense” could lead to an acceptable resolution, praising Trump’s “sincere desire” to find a settlement. “It seems to me that there is a certain light at the end of the tunnel,” he told reporters, while warning that if diplomacy failed, Russia would pursue its objectives “by military means.”
Putin said he was open to hosting Zelensky in Moscow, but only if the meeting was “well prepared.” Kremlin officials have previously insisted that any summit must follow substantive groundwork by lower-level negotiators.
For Ukraine, the latest wave of strikes underscores the urgency of securing stronger air defenses and international backing even as the prospect of peace talks remains clouded by deep mistrust and the realities of a war still raging on multiple fronts.
+ There are no comments
Add yours