The drone strike comes ahead of a highly anticipated call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia on May 18 launched its most significant and widespread drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, leveling homes and leaving at least one woman dead, according to Ukraine officials.
The assault comes just one day before a critical phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss a potential cease-fire to end the war, which began with Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s intelligence service said it believes Russia had planned to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile later on May 18 as a show of strength toward the West ahead of potential peace talks. Moscow did not offer an immediate response to Ukraine’s allegation.
In an effort to smooth over relations with the United States following February’s disastrous clash in the Oval Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 18 during Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration in Vatican City.
Zelenskyy described it as a “good” meeting between the two nations’ officials and released pictures of them all sitting at an outdoor table while smiling. The sit-down lasted 40 minutes, according to Ukrainian media.
“I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional cease-fire as soon as possible,” Zelenskyy said.
After Leo’s inaugural Mass at Vatican City, Zelenskyy met the new pontiff.
On May 16, Ukraine and Russia had their first in-person negotiations after more than three years of war, facing pressure from Trump to ratify a cease-fire. Trump has repeatedly vowed to bring the costly war to a rapid conclusion.
Both nations offered to exchange 1,000 prisoners but did not reach a final agreement following Moscow’s insistence on conditions that a Ukrainian delegation member described as “non-starters.”
While speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Washington on May 7, Vance said Russian leadership was seeking unrealistic concessions in negotiations to end the war.
“Certainly, the first peace offer that the Russians put on the table, our reaction was, ‘You’re asking for too much.’ But this is how negotiations unfold,” Vance said.
During a May 9 interview with Fox News, he said Putin had demanded that Ukraine surrender some territories that Russia had not even occupied or captured.
By Jacob Burg
