LONDON– Ukraine’s flying force reported a significant Russian strike on Monday evening and right into Tuesday early morning– the biggest over night battery for weeks, coming while Ukrainian Head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Head of state Donald Trump and a delegation of European leaders in Washington.
The flying force stated Russia introduced 270 drones and 10 rockets right into Ukraine, of which 30 drones and 6 rockets were obstructed or reduced. The flying force reported the influences of 40 drones and 4 rockets throughout 16 areas, with particles apparently dropping in 3 areas.
Monday evening’s strike was the biggest strike considering that Russia introduced 309 drones and 8 rockets right into Ukraine on July 31, according to the everyday numbers released by the Ukrainian flying force and examined by ABC Information.
Russia’s Protection Ministry, on the other hand, stated its pressures rejected 23 Ukrainian drones over night right into Tuesday early morning.
Thirteen of the craft were downed over the Volgograd area, the ministry stated. Regional Gov. Andrey Bocharov stated on Telegram that dropping particles established fires at an oil refinery and on the roofing of a health center structure, though included there were no casualties.
In this data picture, Ukrainian servicemen discharge an anti-aircraft weapon in the direction of a Russian drone throughout an air strike near Pavlograd, Dnipropetrovsk area, on July 19, 2025.
Roman Pilipey/AFP using Getty Pictures
The over night exchanges bookended a day of top-level talks in Washington. Trump, Zelenskyy and a host of European leaders fulfilled in the funding on Monday to talk about a feasible roadmap to finish Russia’s full-blown intrusion, which started in February 2022.
Monday’s top adhered to a conference in between Trump and Russian Head Of State Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, throughout which Putin rejected an instant ceasefire and required that Ukraine deliver the whole of its eastern Donetsk area for an end to the combating, 2 resources informed ABC Information.
Ahead of Monday’s conferences, Trump seemed pushing Zelenskyy right into negotiating. “Head Of State Zelenskyy of Ukraine can finish the battle with Russia virtually right away, if he intends to, or he can remain to battle,” Trump composed on social networks on Sunday.
The head of state likewise stated Ukraine would certainly not be enabled to sign up with NATO and would certainly not have the ability to gain back Crimea– inhabited by Russia in 2014.
Such statements increased problems of one more fractious Oval Workplace conference, comparable to Zelenskyy’s February see when the Ukrainian leader was openly berated by Trump and Vice Head Of State JD Vance for his supposed thanklessness for American war time assistance.
Yet Monday’s conferences were polite, though the events still seemed some means apart on vital problems.
Trump, Zelenskyy and European leaders all verified their assistance for a straight reciprocal conference in between Zelenskyy and Putin– a proposition the Russian head of state has actually repetitively evaded.
Such a conference would certainly be adhered to by a trilateral conference entailing Trump, the head of state stated. Zelenskyy stated Ukraine is “all set” for a trilateral conversation. Trump mentioned, “I believe it’s mosting likely to be when, not if.”
Later on, Trump published to social meda claiming he had actually talked by phone with Putin “and started the setups for a conference, at an area to be figured out, in between Head of state Putin and Head Of State Zelenskyy.”
The Kremlin is yet to clearly validate Putin’s preparedness to participate in such a conference. Yuri Ushakov, a leading Kremlin assistant, stated in a declaration that Trump and Putin “shared their assistance for the extension of straight settlements in between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.”
Ukrainian Head Of State Volodymyr Zelensky and Head of state Donald Trump join a conference in the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, August 18, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
” Hereof, specifically, the concept was reviewed that the degree of agents from the Ukrainian and Russian sides ought to be boosted,” Ushakov stated. “This describes the agents that join the previously mentioned straight settlements.”
On the concern of safety and security assurances for Ukraine, Trump stated throughout his conference with Zelenskyy, “We’re mosting likely to be reviewing it today, however we will certainly provide excellent defense, excellent safety and security.”
The head of state later on verified that Putin would certainly approve safety and security assurances for Ukraine, though Russian authorities on Monday stated that the visibility of NATO soldiers in the nation would certainly be inappropriate.
Zelenskyy and his European companions once again emphasized their need for a complete ceasefire, just after which tranquility settlements can happen. Trump has actually repetitively required a ceasefire considering that going back to workplace in January, however showed up to go down the concept after recently’s conference with Putin.
” I do not believe you require a ceasefire,” Trump informed Zelenskyy in the Oval Workplace on Monday. “I recognize that it may be excellent to have, however I can likewise comprehend tactically, like, well, you recognize, one nation or the various other would not desire it.”
Trump included that he suches as “the principle of a ceasefire for one factor, since you would certainly quit eliminating individuals right away.”
Zelenskyy shared his appreciation to Trump for organizing the conference, and composed on Telegram after that saying thanks to the White Home for “the vital signal from the U.S.A. pertaining to preparedness to sustain and belong to” post-war safety and security assurances.
” The leaders directly pertained to sustain Ukraine and talk about whatever that will certainly bring us closer to actual tranquility, a reputable safety and security style that will certainly shield Ukraine and all of Europe,” Zelenskyy composed.
Post-meeting remarks from European leaders, however, meant unsolved challenges to tranquility.
” You have an American head of state, European head of states and a Ukrainian head of state all desiring tranquility,” French Head of state Emmanuel Macron stated.
Head Of State Donald Trump and Ukrainian Head Of State Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, August 18, 2025 and Russian Head Of State Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP using Getty Pictures
” For my component, I have the best questions concerning the truth of a need for tranquility for the Russian head of state, since as lengthy as he assumes he can win via battle, he will certainly do so,” Macron included. “His supreme goal is to take as much region as feasible, to compromise Ukraine and to have a Ukraine that is unrealistic alone or is within the Russian layer.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the tough problem of Ukrainian territorial giving ins was not reviewed. “The Russian need that Kyiv quit the cost-free components of Donbas is, to place it in viewpoint, equal to the united state needing to quit Florida,” he stated.
” A sovereign state can not merely choose something like that. It is a choice that Ukraine should make itself during settlements,” Merz included.
ABC Information’ Alexandra Hutzler, Will Gretsky and Tanya Stukalova added to this record.
