Russia Keeps Attacking as Ukraine Launches Drones Ahead of U.S. Envoys’ Visit

Russia reported overnight attacks on targets across Ukraine and the downing of 53 Ukrainian drones, just before U.S. envoys were due to arrive to revive stalled peace negotiations.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces struck two metallurgical plants in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which it described as the largest supplier of such products to the Ukrainian army. It also reported strikes in the Black Sea regions of Odesa and Mykolaiv against a power station, a logistics center and a ship carrying military cargo.

In the Kyiv region, Russian forces reportedly hit two fuel distribution facilities serving Ukraine’s armed forces, along with a logistics center and a radio-intelligence station. Russian air defenses said they intercepted the 53 Ukrainian drones over seven regions, including the border regions of Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk, the southern Krasnodar region and annexed Crimea.

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Russia must do the same. Our goal is for the visit and negotiations with the American side to be as constructive and substantive as possible.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had ordered attacks on Russian airspace suspended during the visit of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “Russia must do the same. Our goal is for the visit and negotiations with the American side to be as constructive and substantive as possible,” he said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow and Kyiv would not reach any kind of agreement on a moratorium on airstrikes. The visit by the two envoys was confirmed by official sources in Russia and Ukraine, while U.S. media reported that the mediators were seeking security guarantees from both sides. Trump said the envoys were carrying “a proposal to end the war,” while Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to receive them but rejected a possible three-way summit unless it was held to sign a final peace agreement.

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A proposal to end the war. Because I ended eight wars.