Russia Unleashes Heaviest August Attack Amid High-Stakes Ukraine Peace Talks in Washington

Ukraine’s air force reported a massive overnight Russian attack, the largest in weeks, coinciding with critical peace discussions in Washington between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump, and European leaders.

The barrage, which began Monday night and continued into Tuesday morning, saw Russia launch 270 drones and 10 missiles. While Ukrainian defenses intercepted a significant portion, 40 drones and four missiles impacted 16 locations, primarily targeting energy infrastructure in the central Poltava region, leading to large-scale fires at oil refining and gas facilities. Russia, meanwhile, claimed its forces shot down 23 Ukrainian drones over its territory, with debris causing fires in the Volgograd region.

These intense exchanges bookended a day of high-level diplomatic efforts aimed at finding a resolution to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. President Trump hosted President Zelenskyy and a delegation of European leaders in Washington on Monday, following Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.

Discussions in Washington focused on a potential roadmap to peace, including the idea of a direct bilateral meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, which Trump suggested could become a trilateral summit involving himself. While Zelenskyy expressed readiness for such talks, the Kremlin has yet to explicitly confirm Putin’s attendance, though a top aide mentioned increasing the level of representatives for direct negotiations.

Significant obstacles remain, with European leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron expressing doubts about Putin’s genuine desire for peace. Key contentious issues include Russia’s demand for Ukraine to cede the entirety of its eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership, the status of Crimea, the timing of a ceasefire, and the nature of post-war security guarantees for Ukraine.

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