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Russia Launches Largest Drone Attack on Ukraine Amid Trump-Putin Ceasefire Talks
Russia launches record 273-drone attack on Ukraine. Zelensky meets US leaders in Rome, supports ceasefire talks before Trump-Putin call. Kyiv rejects Moscow’s demands as unacceptable.
ND
by News Desk
2025-05-19
Russia Launches Largest Drone Attack on Ukraine Amid Trump-Putin Ceasefire Talks

Russia launched its largest drone assault on Ukraine since the start of the war, targeting multiple cities and destroying homes. At least one woman was killed and several others injured, including a young child. Ukrainian intelligence warned that Moscow may also attempt to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile to intimidate Western countries, though Russia has yet to respond.

The attack came a day before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about a proposed ceasefire. The move marks a dramatic escalation in hostilities just as diplomatic efforts gain momentum.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, eager to rebuild relations with Washington after a strained visit to the White House in February, met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday in Rome during Pope Leo’s inauguration. Zelensky called the meeting “good,” stressing Ukraine’s readiness for “real diplomacy” and the urgent need for a “full and unconditional ceasefire.”

The two sides held their first direct talks in over three years on Friday, brokered partly by Trump’s push for a ceasefire. While they agreed to a prisoner swap of 1,000 each, Moscow’s tough conditions for a truce were rejected by Ukraine as “non-starters.”

European leaders from Britain, France, Germany, and Poland are expected to consult with Trump ahead of his call with Putin. These allies continue to advocate for tougher sanctions on Russia, though the US Treasury Secretary indicated any new measures depend on the outcome of negotiations.

On the ground, the human toll of the conflict was evident. Natalia Piven, 44, narrowly escaped death when her family’s home in the Obukhiv region was destroyed in the drone strikes. A neighbor was killed in the attack. “I could clearly hear the drone flying right towards my house,” she recounted.

While Trump’s administration appears to be shifting rhetoric, accepting some of Moscow’s narrative, Kyiv and its European allies insist that Russia is the party obstructing peace. Zelensky has expressed willingness to accept a 30-day ceasefire with no preconditions, whereas Russia demands Ukraine halt arms supplies, cede territory, and adopt neutral status — demands Ukraine firmly rejects as a surrender.

As tensions escalate and diplomacy unfolds, the world watches closely for the outcome of the upcoming Trump-Putin conversation and the future of the Ukraine conflict.
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