LONDON — Russia and Ukraine exchanged massive waves of assault drones in a single day into Sunday as the 2 combatants maneuvered forward of Friday’s deliberate summit in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine’s air power stated Russia launched 100 drones into the nation in a single day, of which 70 have been shot down or in any other case suppressed. Thirty drones impacted throughout 12 places, it stated in a press release posted to Telegram.
Russia’s Protection Ministry stated its troops shot down no less than 126 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
Momentary restrictions on flights have been launched at airports within the southwest of the nation in Vladikavkaz, Grozny, Saratov and Kaluga, Russia’s federal air company Rosaviatsiya stated, throughout the assaults.
In Saratov, regional Gov. Roman Busargin stated one individual was killed and several other injured by a drone that fell close to a residential constructing. An industrial facility was additionally broken, Busargin stated.
This screengrab reveals smoke and hearth rising from an industrial facility, which, in line with the governor of Russia’s Saratov area, was broken in a Ukrainian drone assault, in Saratov, Russia, on August 10, 2025.
Social Media/By way of Reuters
The Ukrainian Normal Employees later confirmed the assault on Saratov, saying in a press release that it focused an oil refinery there. “Saratov oil refinery is among the key services of the Russian Federation’s gas infrastructure concerned in offering oil merchandise to the occupation troops,” the Normal Employees stated. “Its annual processing capability is as much as 7 million tons of oil.”
“The Protection Forces of Ukraine proceed to systematically take measures aimed toward lowering the navy and financial potential of the enemy with a view to power it to cease the armed aggression in opposition to our state,” it added. “Each affected object on the territory of the Russian Federation concerned in securing its legal conflict in opposition to Ukraine brings us nearer to simply peace.”
Ukraine seems to have been ramping up its drone strikes in latest days. Thus far in August, Russia’s Protection Ministry has reported downing 1,117 Ukrainian drones — a median of round 117 per day, marking a notable enhance on July’s day by day common of 97 drones downed.
For Ukrainian defenders, August has to this point been quieter than July. Kyiv has reported going through 749 drones and 11 missiles thus far this month, a median of roughly 75 drones and one missile every day.
July noticed Russia set a brand new report variety of aerial assaults, launching a complete of 6,443 drones and missiles into Ukraine throughout the month, with a day by day common of round 201 drones and 6 missiles per day.
Whereas long-range strikes and grinding frontline fight continues, each Kyiv and Moscow are additionally maneuvering on the diplomatic entrance.
Since Trump introduced that he would meet with Putin in Alaska on Friday, Ukrainian officers have gone on a diplomatic offensive to bolster the Western coalition in assist of its peace calls for.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and different Ukrainian officers have insisted that any negotiations should embrace Ukraine. Kyiv will even not formally cede any territory, settle for limitations on its armed forces, or jettison its ambitions to affix NATO and the European Union, Zelenskyy has stated.
Putin, although, is demanding that Ukraine cede a number of areas — not all of that are managed by Russian troops — within the south and east of the nation, settle for curbs on the scale and class of its navy and be completely excluded from NATO.
Russia’s calls for, Zelenskyy has stated, represent an try to “partition Ukraine.”
Talking from the White Home on Friday, Trump instructed a settlement might embrace “some swapping of territories.” Zelenskyy swiftly rejected the proposal, saying Ukraine “won’t give Russia any awards for what it has executed” and that “Ukrainians won’t give their land to the occupier.”
“Our positions have been clear: a dependable, lasting peace is simply doable with Ukraine on the negotiating desk, with full respect for our sovereignty and with out recognizing the occupation,” Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s influential chief of employees, stated in a Saturday assertion after participating in talks with Vice President JD Vance within the U.Ok.
Folks take a look at a destroyed Russian fight drone at an exhibition in central Kyiv, Ukraine, on August 8, 2025.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have been among the many European leaders to signal a joint assertion expressing their assist for Kyiv in any peace negotiations.
“We welcome President Trump’s work to cease the killing in Ukraine, finish the Russian Federation’s conflict of aggression and obtain simply and lasting peace and safety for Ukraine,” the assertion learn.
“We’re satisfied that solely an strategy that mixes energetic diplomacy, assist to Ukraine and strain on the Russian Federation to finish their unlawful conflict can succeed,” it added.
“Significant negotiations can solely happen within the context of a ceasefire or discount of hostilities,” the joint assertion stated. “The trail to peace in Ukraine can’t be determined with out Ukraine. We stay dedicated to the precept that worldwide borders should not be modified by power. The present line of contact needs to be the start line of negotiations.”
