Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone offensives to date, striking multiple regions across Russia just a day after President Vladimir Putin publicly rejected a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The escalation underscores the widening gulf between the two sides as diplomatic efforts remain stalled.
Russia’s defence ministry said its air‑defence systems intercepted 376 Ukrainian drones across a wide geographic stretch — including Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, Tver, Moscow region, Crimea, and the Leningrad region. Despite the interceptions, debris from downed drones caused damage on the ground. A man was killed in the Tver region, and a major oil depot in Ust‑Labinsk caught fire, prompting emergency response teams to contain the blaze.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy defended the strikes, calling them a “just response” to continued Russian aggression. In a post on X, he wrote: “It is time to end this war. But Russia’s ruler wants to keep fighting… Any manifestation of injustice against Ukraine will receive a just response.”
The attacks came shortly after Putin, speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, dismissed the idea of meeting Zelenskyy, saying there was “no point” in talks until a framework for a peace deal was agreed in advance. Zelenskyy responded by calling Putin “weak” and accusing him of choosing war over diplomacy.
The drone barrage also highlights the intensifying drone‑warfare race between Moscow and Kyiv, as both sides increasingly rely on unmanned systems for long‑range strikes. Meanwhile, US‑led peace efforts remain stalled amid broader geopolitical tensions.
Analysts warn that the scale of Ukraine’s latest attack — combined with Putin’s refusal to engage — signals a prolonged conflict with little room for immediate negotiation.