Ukraine experienced the biggest-ever aerial attack on Ukraine as 728 drones and 13 missiles struck cities across the country in coordinated waves. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the overnight assault a telling attack and said Russia is rejecting all peace efforts outright.
Zelensky emphasized that the barrage conceded with global talks for a ceasefire and criticized Russia for continuing the violence without restraint. The attack came just hours after President Donald Trump reversed a suspension on aid and pledged more weapons for Kyiv.
During a press briefing, Trump expressed apparent frustration with Russian President Valdimi Putin, accusing him of manipulative and empty gestures. Despite their regular communication, Trump’s dialogue with Putin has produced no progress on a ceasefire or a peace agreement.
Sitting beside Defense Secretary Pete Hegsth, Trump claimed ignorance of last week’s aid suspension. The administration’s reversal may lead to Ukraine receiving 10 Patriot missiles, which are vital in countering Russian missile attacks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Trump’s remarks, saying the Russian government remains calm and unfazed by his language. Meanwhile, explosions rocked cities in western Ukraine, including Lutsk, Lviv, and Rivne, even as fighting in the east intensified daily.
Zelensky is in Rome for the Ukraine Recovery Conference and met with Pope Leo to discuss humanitarian and military support. German Chancellor Friederich Merz pledged air defense assistance and declared that diplomatic solutions for the war had already been exhausted.
