Russia launched dozens of drones at Ukraine overnight, in the latest wave of attacks that have further dimmed hopes for a ceasefire following last week’s Alaska summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to the Ukrainian military, more than 50 drones were launched, many of which were shot down or intercepted. It remains unclear if the strikes caused casualties. Officials noted that the scale of the attack was smaller than previous Russian strikes earlier this week.
On August 21, a Russian strike hit an American-owned factory in western Ukraine, injuring several workers. Emergency services confirmed that the fire at the site had been extinguished on August 23.
Meanwhile, Russia claimed that Ukraine launched dozens of drones overnight against Russian targets, but insisted most were intercepted.
The attacks come amid growing frustration over the lack of progress since the Trump-Putin summit. On August 22, Trump warned that Washington could impose new sanctions on Russia if Moscow refuses to engage in further negotiations.
“I will make a decision in the next two weeks. It could be massive sanctions, massive tariffs, or both. Or I may do nothing and tell them: ‘This is your war,’” Trump told reporters at the White House.
While Trump suggested a potential future meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the idea, saying no summit was currently planned.
“Putin is ready to meet Zelensky when there is a clear agenda for a summit. That agenda is not ready,” Lavrov told NBC News.
Despite escalating tensions, Putin struck an unexpectedly conciliatory tone, describing Trump as a “light at the end of the tunnel” for U.S.-Russia relations, which he said are at their lowest point since World War II.
Zelensky, however, accused Russia of deliberately avoiding a face-to-face meeting aimed at resolving the war, which Moscow launched in February 2022 with its full-scale invasion.
