Zelenskyy orders 1,000 long-range drone strikes daily against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a directive to significantly escalate drone warfare against Russia, ordering the nation's armed forces to conduct 1,000 long-range drone strikes daily.

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More needs to be done: there is a specific goal and we will fulfill this task.

This ambitious target represents a more than threefold increase from the current operational tempo, which stands at approximately 300 such attacks per day. Zelenskyy articulated the strategic imperative behind this escalation in his evening address, stating, "More needs to be done: there is a specific goal and we will fulfill this task."

The announcement follows reports that the United States has shared information with Kyiv regarding recent meetings that took place in Moscow. Zelenskyy alluded to these briefings via Telegram, thanking the U.S. for the information and "the necessary tone of the discussion with Russia." However, he provided no further details on the nature or participants of these Moscow meetings.

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Today we were informed by the American side about the meetings in Moscow that took place these days. There were several meetings there.

The Kremlin has remained non-committal regarding the prospect of new talks involving the U.S. in September. Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy advisor to the Kremlin, acknowledged awareness of media reports but declined to offer specific comments on potential trilateral discussions involving Ukrainian, Russian, and American representatives. The last such tripartite meeting occurred in February, with subsequent engagements involving Russia and Ukraine conducted separately with the U.S. delegation.

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Thank you for the information and for the necessary tone of the discussion with Russia.