Russia unleashed one of its most intense barrages in recent weeks against western Ukraine overnight, firing hundreds of drones and missiles, according to Ukrainian officials.
The strikes hit Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv, leaving one person dead and several others injured.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the attacks underscored the urgent need for both diplomatic efforts to end the war and for stronger air defence systems, describing them as “critical.”
The escalation coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposing Switzerland, Austria or Turkey as potential venues for possible peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The prospect of a trilateral summit, mediated by the United States, emerged after US President Donald Trump met Putin in Alaska before hosting Zelensky and several European leaders at the White House. Zelensky has expressed his readiness to meet Putin “in any format.”
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has also offered Budapest as a potential host city. However, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s close ties with Moscow — and his record of opposing EU measures in support of Ukraine — may cast doubt on Hungary’s neutrality.
Asked about the Hungarian offer, Zelensky avoided comment but revealed he had urged Trump to press Hungary to lift its objections to Ukraine’s EU membership talks. “Trump promised that his team would work on this,” he told reporters on Thursday morning.
The Ukrainian president also warned that Russian troops were massing on the southern front line in Zaporizhzhia, one of the four regions Moscow claims as its own. “We can see that they continue transferring part of their troops from the Kursk direction to Zaporizhzhia,” he said.
Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting 577 out of 614 aerial vehicles launched overnight, including drones as well as hypersonic, ballistic and cruise missiles.
Foreign Minister Sybiha said one missile struck a major US electronics manufacturer in Ukraine’s westernmost region, causing significant damage and casualties.
Source: BBC
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