In a stark reminder of how fragile the search for peace remains, Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia fired 270 drones and 10 missiles into the country overnight Monday into Tuesday, the largest aerial assault in weeks. The attack came less than 24 hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a delegation of European leaders met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, where they discussed a roadmap to end the war that began with Russia’s full‑scale invasion in February 2022.
Most of the barrage was aimed at energy and transport infrastructure in the central Poltava region. In Kremenchuk, home to Ukraine’s only oil refinery, dozens of explosions rattled the city and left nearly 1,500 homes and more than 100 businesses without power, according to mayor Vitalii Maletskyi. Ukraine’s air force said it downed 230 drones and six missiles but recorded impacts at 16 locations; the energy ministry reported large‑scale fires and called the strikes part of a “systematic terrorist” campaign against Ukraine’s energy network. Regional governor Volodymyr Kohut said no casualties were reported but confirmed damage to administrative buildings at a local power operation.
Maletskyi was blunt about the timing. “At the very same time when [Vladimir] Putin was assuring Trump over the phone that he seeks peace, and when President Zelenskyy was holding talks at the White House with European leaders about a just peace, Putin’s army launched yet another massive attack on Kremenchuk,” he said on Telegram, calling the strikes proof that the Russian leader wants to destroy Ukraine rather than negotiate. Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said the attack underscores why any settlement must include robust security guarantees: “This once again demonstrates how critical it is to end the killing,” he wrote on X.
The overnight assault followed a day of diplomacy in Washington where Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and other European leaders met Trump to seek a path toward a ceasefire. Zelenskyy later described the session as “truly a significant step toward ending the war,” while Trump said he had spoken with Putin about arranging a direct meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents. The Kremlin, however, has not confirmed that such a summit will take place; a top aide said only that Moscow and Washington support continuing direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Russia’s latest bombardment risks derailing those efforts. By striking the heart of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure within hours of high‑level peace talks, Putin has sent a message about his negotiating posture. Whether it will harden international resolve to secure a durable peace, or deepen the impasse, remains to be seen.
