Kyiv, Aug 21 (AP) Russia unleashed one of its most extensive aerial offensives this year against Ukraine, dispatching 574 drones and 40 missiles overnight, according to the Ukrainian Air Force on Thursday. The assault predominantly targeted the country's western regions, reportedly resulting in at least one casualty and injuring 15 others, officials stated. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha disclosed that Russia hit a "major American electronics manufacturer" in the west, without providing additional details.
The western parts of Ukraine are situated far from the conflict zones in the east and south. Much of the military assistance from Ukraine's Western allies is presumed to be transported and kept there. Official records indicate this was Russia's third-largest drone attack this year and the eighth-largest missile strike in terms of numbers.
This aggressive act occurred amid a renewed US-led push for a peace settlement in the ongoing three-year conflict following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the attack, stating it was carried out "as if nothing were changing at all."
Zelenskyy criticized Moscow for not engaging in genuine negotiations to end the conflict and urged the international community to respond with increased pressure, including heightened sanctions. Russia "wasted several cruise missiles against an American business," he remarked, noting it was a civilian enterprise producing domestic goods like coffee machines. "And that too became a target for Russia. Very telling.”
Earlier, Zelenskyy mentioned that Ukraine plans to hold intensive discussions to determine the security guarantees its allies are willing to offer. This follows positive signals suggesting the United States supports renewed discussions aimed at ending the war.
These details are being refined amidst dialogues among security advisors and military officials, with Zelenskyy anticipating clarity within 10 days. He expects to be prepared to engage in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the full-scale invasion.
The proposed talks might additionally involve US President Donald Trump, Zelenskyy indicated. "We aim to understand the security guarantees' architecture in seven to 10 days. Based on this, we intend to hold a trilateral meeting. That was my logic," Zelenskyy explained, addressing journalists Wednesday after a visit to Washington with Europe's top leaders.
"President Trump suggested a slightly different approach: a trilateral meeting through a bilateral one," Zelenskyy revealed. "Nonetheless, we all concurred that we would continue shaping the security guarantees, establishing a framework akin to Article 5. Currently, we have political backing for this."
Article 5 is NATO's mutual defense promise, wherein an attack on one member is regarded as an attack on all.
Potential venues for the meeting include Switzerland, Austria, and Turkey, Zelenskyy added.
Kyiv remains uncertain about the nature of support it can anticipate from allies. A coalition of over 30 nations has pledged to contribute to security guarantees, yet discussions reached a halt with the US's ambivalent stance.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that addressing security arrangements in Ukraine without Russia's involvement would be ineffective, as reported by RIA Novosti. "We cannot agree with the proposition to resolve collective security matters excluding Russia. This will not succeed. We have repeatedly clarified that Russia does not exaggerate its interests, but will assert its legitimate interests firmly," Lavrov declared during a news conference on Wednesday.
Recently, positive indications from Trump, suggesting US support for "Article 5-like" security guarantees and Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union have revitalized those talks, Zelenskyy reported. "Today, we have favorable feedback from America, President Trump, and his team, expressing their willingness to participate in security guarantees for Ukraine. This opens possibilities for other nations," he continued. "The general staff of key nations have commenced discussions about their readiness. Some countries previously absent might now engage."
Turkey voiced its willingness to ensure security along the Black Sea following Trump's apparent openness to supporting Ukraine's security assurances, Zelenskyy mentioned.
Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine's readiness to enter direct negotiations with Putin. "And if the Russians are not ready? The Europeans raised this query. If Russia remains unprepared, we expect a strong response from the United States," he declared.
Ukraine has previously hoped for increased US sanctions on Russia if it fails to show a genuine willingness to conclude the conflict.
Zelenskyy shared positive remarks regarding his meeting with Trump in the Oval Office on Monday, accompanied by Europe's senior leaders. He sought to counter Putin's portrayal of the battlefield situation as more dire for Ukraine than it is.
Zelenskyy highlighted inaccuracies on US maps illustrating frontlines, which depicted Russia holding more territory than in reality. "President Trump was eager to understand the specifics. We discussed Donbas, the East, and its significance. I emphasized that if our military retreats from this region and it's occupied, it could pave the way to Kharkiv," Zelenskyy remarked, adding that he demonstrated roads leading to Ukraine’s industrial hub in Dnipropetrovsk.
"There are substantial components here. If purely discussing eastern withdrawal, we cannot proceed," Zelenskyy indicated, expressing confidence that Trump grasped his perspective. (AP)
(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
