1,400 Russian drones battered Ukraine last week, Zelensky says ahead of Trump-Putin summit
Russian forces launched over 1,000 aerial bombs and 1,400 strike drones against Ukraine over the past week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 11, only a few days before an expected U.S.-Russia summit.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15 for their first in-person meeting since Trump's return to office, as Washington aims to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.
"Another week has ended without any attempt by Russia to agree to the numerous demands of the world and stop the killings, Zelensky wrote on X.
According to the Ukrainian president, Moscow also maintains pressure along the front, with 209 Russian soldiers "eliminated" by Ukraine's 32nd Brigade in the Pokrovsk sector alone.
"We are defending the lives of our people and strengthening our air defenses," Zelensky added. "This is what the situation in the war looks like. And the situation in diplomacy must correspond accordingly."
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed at least seven people and injured close to 50 in the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported in the morning of Aug. 11.
Accusing Moscow of dragging out its war against Ukraine, Zelensky stressed that Russia cannot be rewarded for its aggression.
"Concessions do not persuade a killer. But truly strong protection of life stops the killers," the president added.
Moscow has consistently rejected a U.S. proposal for an unconditional ceasefire backed by Kyiv and European countries, intensifying drone and missile attacks against Ukraine throughout the summer.
Another week has ended without any attempt by Russia to agree to the numerous demands of the world and stop the killings. In just the past 24 hours on the front, there have been 137 combat engagements, and this is the case every day. The Russian army is not reducing its pressure.… pic.twitter.com/FcpEOTiIXW
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 11, 2025
After months of deadlock, peace efforts seemingly gained fresh momentum last week after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow on Aug. 6.
Trump subsequently announced a summit with Putin and reportedly told Ukraine and European leaders that the Kremlin is open to negotiations if "land swaps" are part of the deal.
Though it remains unclear what such a deal would entail, a source in Ukraine's Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent that Moscow seeks Kyiv's full withdrawal from partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the east while offering to withdraw its forces from the limited areas it holds in the northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.
Zelensky's participation in the upcoming summit also remains uncertain, fueling concerns in Ukraine and Europe that Washington and Moscow could sideline them from the peace process.
Publicly, Putin has demanded a ban on Ukraine's NATO membership and a full Ukrainian withdrawal from partially occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts as a precondition for peace talks.
Moscow has reiterated these demands during recent negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul.
In turn, Zelensky has rejected ceding territory to Russia and urged a ceasefire as the first step toward peace talks, a position backed by Kyiv's European partners.
