As the United States steps up its efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war to a new level, Russia launched powerful attacks on a central region of Ukraine last night using drones and missiles. The Ukrainian Air Force said that in last night’s attack, Russia targeted 270 drones and 10 missiles at Kremenchuk in Ukraine. They claimed to have shot down 230 drones and six missiles, but said that four missiles and 40 drones hit 16 different locations. The mayor of Kremenchuk stated that this attack clearly shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not willing to end the war and establish peace.
Russia launched this attack on Ukraine while US President Donald Trump was urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to the conditions Putin had proposed to end the war. After meeting with Zelensky at the White House, Trump said that under an agreement to end the war, the United States would guarantee Ukraine’s safety and security. Kremenchuk Mayor Vitaly Maletsky said that after Putin told Trump he was ready to end the war, this attack has revealed to the whole world that Russia does not want to establish peace. Maletsky said that in the most powerful attack Russia has launched on Ukraine this August, energy an and transportation networks have been damaged, and a large area has lost power.
Along with Kremenchuk, Russia targeted attacks on two other regions of Ukraine last night, and some government buildings have been reported damaged. However, no official agency has yet reported any casualties from last night’s attack. Leaders of Western powers, who are Ukraine’s supporters, also participated in Trump’s meeting with Zelensky at the White House. Trump met with them to share information about the discussions held during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15.
Zelensky welcomed Trump’s statement that he would provide assistance to ensure Ukraine’s safety and security. He also said that what this assistance entails would be determined within the next 10 days or so, and revealed that Ukraine has decided to purchase $90 billion worth of weapons from the United States. Although no agreement was reached on ending the war during the meeting between Putin and Trump, those who analyze the situation believe significant progress was made in the discussions. It has also been reported that Putin said he would end the war if Zelensky agrees to cede Donetsk in eastern Ukraine to Russian control.
