Russia launches a record number of drones into Ukraine on the eve of the war’s 3-year anniversary

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched more strike drones into Ukraine overnight on Saturday than in any other single attack of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday, one day before the three-year anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.

Writing on social media, Zelenskyy said 267 strike drones had been sent in what he called “the largest attack since Iranian drones began hitting Ukrainian cities and villages.” Ukraine’s air force said 138 drones had been shot down over 13 Ukrainian regions, with 119 more lost en route to their targets.

Three ballistic missiles had also been fired, the air force said. One person was killed in a missile strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih, according to the head of the Kryvyi Rih military administration.

The attack came as leaders in Kyiv and across Europe are seeking to navigate rapid changes in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, who in a matter of days has upended years of firm support for Ukraine, leading to fears that he would join with Moscow to force a settlement to the war without involving Ukraine and its European backers.

Ukraine fears Trump’s policy shift toward Putin

Trump’s engagement with Russian officials and his agreement to reopen diplomatic ties and economic cooperation with Moscow marked a dramatic about-face in U.S. policy which had previously sought to isolate Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, over the war.

Zelenskyy has expressed fears that Trump pushing a quick resolution would result in lost territory for Ukraine and vulnerability to future Russian aggression, though U.S. officials have asserted that the Ukrainian leader would be involved if and when peace talks actually start.

Trump, however, prompted alarm and anger in Ukraine when this week he suggested that Kyiv had started the war, and that Zelenskyy was acting as a “dictator” since the country has not held elections in accordance with Ukrainian legislation prohibiting them during martial law.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister on Saturday said preparations were underway for a Trump-Putin meeting, a further sign that the Russian leader’s isolation, at least for the Trump administration, was beginning to thaw.

Reacting to the latest Russian attacks, however, Andrii Sybiha‎, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the overnight strikes against civilian and military targets “demonstrates that avoiding calling Russia an aggressor does not change the fact that it is one.”

“No one should trust Putin’s words. Look at his actions instead,” Sybiha‎ said in a statement on social media.

Putin praises soldiers fighting in Ukraine

Zelenskyy and other officials will participate in a forum in Kyiv on Sunday where they will discuss the state of the country a day before the war reaches its three-year mark. Zelenskyy will conclude the forum with a news conference.

The forum comes at a sensitive moment for Kyiv as Trump’s administration pushes Ukraine’s leaders to agree to a deal that would allow the U.S. to access Ukrainian rare earth minerals, a proposal Zelenskyy earlier declined to accept because it lacked specific security guarantees.

“We must do our utmost to bring a lasting and just peace to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media on Sunday. “This is possible with the unity of all partners — we need the strength of all of Europe, the strength of America, the strength of all who want a reliable peace.”

Meanwhile, Putin in a special televised message Sunday praised Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine for defending “their native land, the national interests and the future of Russia.”

Putin’s speech marked Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day, which falls a day before the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. He used the holiday greeting to pledge greater social support for military personnel and new weapons and equipment for Russian forces.

“Today, as the world is changing impetuously, our strategic course for strengthening and developing the Armed Forces remains unchanged,” he said, adding that Russia would continue to develop its armed forces “as the essential part of Russia’s security that guarantees its sovereign present and future.”

European leaders prepare for talks with Trump

The U.K. on Sunday said it would announce new sanctions on Russia as it tries to stiffen Western support for Ukraine.

The sanctions package coming Monday will be the biggest imposed by Britain since the early days of the war, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said, adding that they would be aimed at “eroding (Russia’s) military machine and reducing revenues fueling the fires of destruction in Ukraine.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will make tag-team visits to Washington this week as Europe attempts to persuade Trump not to abandon Ukraine in pursuit of a peace deal.

Starmer told a Labour Party gathering in Scotland on Sunday: “There can be no discussion about Ukraine without Ukraine and the people of Ukraine must have a long-term secure future.”

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Justin Spike, The Associated Press