Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that massive overnight Russian strikes across the country underscored Moscow’s unwillingness to pursue peace, even as U.S.-brokered diplomacy sought to bring the war to an end.
Authorities reported one person killed and 22 wounded after Russia launched 574 drones and 40 missiles overnight in one of the largest attacks since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Many of the strikes targeted western Ukraine, including a U.S.-owned Flex electronics plant in Zakarpattia region, where thousands are employed.
“We believe it was a deliberate strike on U.S. property here in Ukraine, on American investment,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. He described the attack as a clear signal of Russia’s lack of interest in ongoing peace efforts.
In Lviv, a missile killed one resident, wounded three others, and damaged 26 homes, according to Governor Maksym Kozytskyi. Strikes in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region damaged businesses, homes, and gas lines. Industry sources told Reuters that a key gas pumping facility was also hit.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces targeted energy, airfield, and defense industry sites, while also claiming to have captured another frontline village, Oleksandro-Shultyne. Ukraine reported counterstrikes on a Russian oil refinery, drone depot, and fuel base. Neither side’s battlefield claims could be independently verified.
The attacks came days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced tentative plans for a meeting between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump, who met both leaders last week, has pressed for a diplomatic resolution but admitted that Putin “may not want a deal.”
Zelenskyy urged Washington to respond firmly if Moscow rejects diplomacy. “They don’t want to end the war. They carry on with massive strikes,” he said.
Meanwhile, U.S. and European military planners are exploring long-term security guarantees for Ukraine. Chiefs of defense from the United States, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, and Ukraine met in Washington this week to discuss future security arrangements. Zelenskyy said these talks were helping shape “the security architecture for Ukraine.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov countered that Moscow was open to “honest” talks on security guarantees but accused Ukraine’s European backers of “adventurism” for excluding Russia.
The war, now in its fourth year, has killed thousands of civilians and left over a million Russian and Ukrainian soldiers killed or wounded, according to Western estimates.
Written By Rodney Mbua
