Ukraine war latest: Zelensky, Trump discuss 'win-win' drones-for-weapons 'mega deal'
Key developments on July 17:
- Zelensky, Trump discuss 'win-win' drones-for-weapons 'mega deal'
- Washington 'moving with haste' to arm Ukraine under Trump plan, US envoy says
- Ukrainian drones reportedly target Moscow, St. Petersburg amid wider strikes
- Leaked documents claim Russia's 41st Army suffered 'catastrophic' losses fighting in Ukraine
- US delays Patriot deliveries to Switzerland, prioritizes Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump are exploring a potential agreement involving the purchase of American weapons in exchange for the sale of Ukrainian drones, Zelensky told the New York Post in an interview published on July 17.
"The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal," Zelensky said of Ukraine's drones, which have managed to destroy heavy Russian bombers.
"I think this is really a mega deal, a win-win, as they say."
The arrangement would see the U.S. and Ukraine back each other in aviation and unmanned systems development, Zelensky said.
While specific details remain unclear, Kyiv would gain access to a swath of weapons from the U.S. in return for providing combat-tested drone technologies to Washington.
Zelensky said Ukraine is prepared to share its drone expertise with the U.S., as well as European countries such as Denmark, Norway, and Germany.
The proposal aligns with Trump's evolving military strategy. According to Reuters, his draft defense budget for fiscal year 2026 prioritizes drones and long-range missiles over conventional naval and aerial assets.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Kyiv has expanded drone production across all domains — air, land, and sea — with plans to manufacture 30,000 long-range drones in 2025.
Kyiv's hybrid strike platforms — including the Palianytsia and Peklo missile-drones — have attracted global interest for their ability to deliver precision strikes over extended ranges.
On June 1, Ukraine carried out an unprecedented drone strike as part of Operation Spiderweb, targeting four Russian air bases deep inside the country with first-person view (FPV) drones.
Washington 'moving with haste' to arm Ukraine under Trump plan, US envoy says
The U.S. was working to speed up weapons deliveries to Ukraine in coordination with President Donald Trump's new NATO initiative, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said, Barron's reported on July 17.
As part of the plan, the U.S. was weighing the sale of Patriot air defense systems from its own military stockpiles, Whitaker said.
The push follows Trump's July 14 announcement of a NATO- and EU-backed scheme in which alliance members would purchase U.S.-made weapons systems for Ukraine.
"We are all moving with haste to facilitate this and get this done, and, you know, I think things are actually moving very quickly," Whitaker said.
He added that while the U.S. would not put itself at "a strategic disadvantage," it acknowledges Ukraine's "desperate" need for air defenses to protect cities under bombardment.
"We're going to make sure that we have everything we need," Whitaker said. "At the same time, I think we all acknowledge the desperate requirements that Ukraine currently... needs."
Options under discussion include the direct sale of U.S. Patriots, European countries sending their existing systems to Ukraine, and those systems being replaced through purchases from Washington.
Russia has intensified aerial assaults across Ukraine over the past months. Kyiv has repeatedly urged Western partners to bolster its air defense network to counter drone and missile barrages targeting civilian infrastructure.
Trump said on July 16 that Patriot air defense missiles for Ukraine were already en route, though Germany's Defense Ministry said it had no knowledge of any such shipment.
A German spokesperson had confirmed on July 14 that discussions among European allies were ongoing to supply more than three Patriot systems.
So far, the U.S. has provided three Patriot batteries to Ukraine, Germany has sent three more, and a European coalition has contributed an additional unit.
Ukrainian drones reportedly target Moscow, St. Petersburg amid wider strikes
Russian media and officials reported approaching Ukrainian drones across multiple regions overnight on July 17, as Ukraine's military launched a wider drone attack on the western regions of Russia, including Moscow.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defenses had shot down three drones approaching the capital between 2-3 a.m. local time. Sobyanin added that emergency workers were on scene, making no mention of any casualties or damage caused.
In St. Petersburg, the Pulkovo Airport temporarily suspended operations at 5 a.m. local time, Rosaviatsiya (Russia's Air Transport Agency) reported, presumably amid approaching drones. The halt reportedly delayed the departure of at least 10 flights.
Russian airports have regularly experienced temporary ground halts amid Ukrainian attacks.
Russian state media outlet TASS reported that drones were downed with electronic warfare systems east of St. Petersburg.
In Smolensk Oblast, located south of St. Petersburg, one person was injured as 14 drones were downed over the region, Governor Vasily Anokhin claimed
Closer to the front line, Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed that a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and injured six in the city of Belgorod. One other person was allegedly injured in the region.
In the city of Voronezh, Russian Telegram media channels reported that a drone had struck a residential building, injuring three children. Regional Governor Alexander Gusev claimed that at least five drones had been downed over the region.
While in Kaluga Oblast, a 14-year-old girl was injured as three drones were allegedly downed over the region, regional Governor Vladislav Shapsha claimed.
Russia's Defense Ministry said that a total of 122 Ukrainian drones had been downed over various regions of the country.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify any claims made by Russian officials or media.
Ukraine regularly targets Russian regions with drones. Ukraine's military has not commented on the recent attacks.
The reported Ukrainian attacks followed a series of Russian attacks on Ukraine.
In Nikopol, a double-tap attack injured five people, including three emergency workers. Earlier in the day, Russia also dropped a 500-kg aerial bomb on a shopping center in Donetsk Oblast, killing two and injuring 28 others.
Russia continues to increase the severity of its own attacks on Ukrainian cities.
The night prior, Russian forces launched waves of drones and missiles across Ukraine, leading to significant power outages and casualties in different regions, including western oblasts far from the front lines.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia launched over 1,800 long-range drones toward Ukraine last week. The week saw a record Russian attack on July 9, when Russian forces deployed 728 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys.
Leaked documents claim Russia's 41st Army suffered 'catastrophic' losses fighting in Ukraine
Russia's 41st Combined Arms Army fighting in eastern Ukraine has suffered "catastrophic" losses, according to internal documents published on July 17 by Ukraine's "I Want to Live" government project.
Launched in September 2022 by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), the 24-hour "I Want to Live" hotline helps Russian soldiers willingly surrender themselves or their units to the Ukrainian army.
"Russians who are not indifferent to the fate of Russia have given us documents that reveal the scale of losses of Russian troops in Ukraine," the project said in a post on social media.
The documents detail the toll on Russia's 41st Combined Arms Army, a major military formation made up of four motorized infantry brigades, with soldiers primarily drawn from Siberia and southern Russia.
As of June 1, 2025, at least 8,625 troops from this army had been killed in combat, 10,491 were listed as missing in action, and another 7,846 had deserted.
Most of the 41st Army's units are operating near the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast.
The worst-hit is the 74th Motor Rifle Brigade from Kemerovo Oblast in Siberia, which has lost 2,479 soldiers killed, 2,732 missing, and 2,789 deserting, more than double the brigade's original size of around 3,500 troops.
Other brigades show similar figures. The 35th Brigade from Altai Krai in Southern Siberia reported 1,975 killed, 3,163 missing, and 2,229 desertions.
The 55th Brigade from Tuva, bordering Mongolia, once a small formation of 1,600, has lost 1,430 troops killed, 1,467 missing, and 1,616 deserting.
The 137th Brigade reported at least 1,158 killed, 2,319 missing, and 948 deserting.
Desertion rates reportedly remain high. On a single day, May 31, 42 soldiers fled their units, according to the project. Over the course of one week, 175 deserted, nearly half the size of a typical battalion. Of those, 28% were former prisoners recruited into penal assault units known as "V companies."
"It is also worth noting that the 'V companies' exist exclusively in motorized rifle brigades, where prisoners are used as cannon fodder," the statement from "I Want to Live" said, describing the losses as "catastrophic."
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
Russian losses in Ukraine hit a massive, and grim milestone on June 12 — 1 million Russian soldiers killed or wounded during the 39-month-long full-scale war, according to figures from Kyiv.
Although hugely symbolic, the number is unlikely to prompt a change in tactics from Moscow as it gears up for more offensives this summer, and escalates drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
US delays Patriot deliveries to Switzerland, prioritizes Ukraine
The U.S. State Department has informed Switzerland of delays in the delivery of Patriot air defense systems due to a decision to prioritize shipments to Ukraine, the Swiss Defense Ministry said on July 17.
The move comes amid a surge in Russian airstrikes across Ukraine. Kyiv has long urged Western partners to provide additional air defense systems to protect civilians from missile and drone attacks.
Switzerland said the five Patriot systems it ordered from the U.S. in 2022 were scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2028. The latest U.S. decision means those deliveries will be postponed.
"The U.S. wants to strengthen its support to Ukraine... The U.S. has therefore decided to reprioritize the delivery of Patriot ground-based air defense systems," the Swiss Defense Ministry said in a statement.
"It is currently unclear how many systems will be affected and whether the delivery of guided missiles will also be affected."
The shift in priority follows U.S. President Donald Trump's July 14 announcement of a new NATO-coordinated arms initiative under which alliance members and EU countries will purchase U.S.-made weapons systems for Ukraine.
Patriot systems are a key component of Ukraine's layered air defense network, offering high-precision tracking and interception capabilities critical to repelling Russian aerial assaults.
Trump said on July 16 that Patriot air defense missiles for Ukraine were already en route, though Germany's Defense Ministry said it had no knowledge of any such shipment.
Washington has previously delivered three Patriot batteries to Ukraine, while Germany has provided three more. A European coalition has contributed one additional battery, though not all are currently operational due to routine maintenance.
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