Russia Vows To Escalate Strikes As Ukraine Pleads For Weapons

Russia will move forward with its summer offensive in Ukraine, officials said over the weekend, despite US President Donald Trump’s renewed push for peace, with Moscow launching a record-breaking drone and missile assault on Kyiv just hours after a call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the BBC reported. 

Russian forces fired 539 drones and 11 missiles overnight Friday, hitting nearly every district of Kyiv and other regions, including Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Chernihiv, according to Ukrainian officials.  

Ukraine’s air force said 72 drones penetrated its defenses. One person was killed and 26 were injured in Kyiv, where fires damaged rail infrastructure, schools, and residential buildings.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault as a “demonstratively significant and cynical” attack. 

Both countries continued trading strikes on Sunday, disrupting Russian air travel and prompting further casualties. Ukrainian authorities said at least four civilians were killed, with at least six injured in the latest wave of attacks, according to the Guardian. 

The weekend bombardment followed a phone call on Thursday between Trump and Putin. The US president later said he was “very disappointed” with the lack of progress, adding that he didn’t think Putin is “looking to stop.”  

Following the call, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov reiterated Russia’s aim to eliminate the “root causes” of the war – a term Moscow has repeatedly used to justify its 2022 invasion aimed at blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership, according to Al Jazeera. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would continue its offensive unless its objectives were met through diplomatic means. 

Ushakov noted that while Putin expressed “readiness” to negotiate, he rejected Washington’s proposal for an unconditional ceasefire. The Kremlin also indicated a preference for bilateral talks with Kyiv rather than a trilateral format involving US mediators.  

In response, Trump warned Friday that Russia could face additional sanctions if it refused to engage in a political settlement, added Radio Free Europe. 

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy confirmed over the weekend that he had the “most productive” phone call to date with Trump over the weekend, with the two discussing air defense and the need for additional Patriot missile systems, Reuters noted. 

The US said Ukraine “is going to need them for defense,” but did not commit to resuming shipments. 

The weapons discussion came amid rising tensions between the US and Ukraine after Washington paused weapons shipments to Kyiv late last month, a move that deepened concerns about the country’s ability to defend itself. 

The Pentagon’s recent decision to suspend a shipment of air defense missiles and precision-guided artillery to Kyiv reportedly surprised some US officials, including lawmakers, and Washington’s allies. 

While the White House defended the decision as part of an ongoing review in light of escalating tensions in the Middle East, an internal analysis later found the shipment would not have endangered US stockpiles, NBC News wrote. 

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he hoped the US would show flexibility on arms shipments, while Germany confirmed talks with Washington to purchase additional Patriot systems for Ukraine. 

Amid growing weapons needs, Zelenskyy confirmed Sunday that Kyiv had reached an agreement with European allies and a US defense firm to ramp up drone production, the Guardian added.