Russia Launches Massive Drone and Missile Attack on Ukraine as Zelenskyy Seeks U.S. Aid
Russia conducted a large-scale bombardment of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight, utilizing over 300 drones and 37 missiles, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to meet with former President Donald Trump to request increased military assistance.
Eight Ukrainian regions experienced power outages following the attack, with Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo, reporting widespread disruptions. DTEK, the country’s largest private energy company, confirmed outages in Kyiv and a halt to natural gas extraction in the Poltava region due to damage sustained during the strikes. This latest assault marks the sixth time this month that Ukraine’s natural gas infrastructure has been targeted, according to Naftogaz, the state-owned oil and gas company. Attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid are a recurring tactic, particularly as winter approaches, aiming to disrupt essential services and potentially displace civilians.
“This fall, the Russians are using every single day to strike our energy infrastructure,” Zelenskyy stated on Telegram, adding that Russia employed cluster munitions and repeatedly targeted the same locations, endangering repair crews. Simultaneously, Ukraine has been striking back, with its general staff reporting a strike on the Saratov oil refinery in Russia for the second time in two months, located approximately 300 miles from the Ukrainian border. Ukraine is seeking cruise missiles, air defense systems, and joint drone production agreements from the United States, as well as stronger international sanctions against Moscow. For more on the ongoing conflict, see coverage from the Council on Foreign Relations.
Former President Trump announced after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin that they plan to meet in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss potential avenues for ending the war, stating he believes “great progress was made” during their conversation. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated Wednesday that Washington is prepared to “take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia” if Putin refuses to negotiate. The Institute for the Study of War argues that providing Ukraine with long-range missiles would not escalate the conflict.
Ukrainian officials are also pursuing domestic arms development, signing a memorandum of understanding with Bell Textron Inc. to cooperate on aviation technology and establish an assembly and testing center within Ukraine. Zelenskyy is expected to arrive in the United States today and meet with Trump tomorrow, with officials anticipating a discussion of potential strategies to de-escalate the conflict.
